SYLLABUS FOR AMERICAN
LITERATURE I
Term:
Fall, 2005
Course Number: English 270
Instructor: Dr. Chris Buczinsky
Office Phone: 219-473-4250
E-mail: cbuczinsky@ccsj.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday 11:00-12:00,
3:30-4:30
Wednesday 3:00-7:00
Instructor Background: I graduated from
Northwestern in 1994 with my Ph.D. in English and a specialty in 19th
century literature and contemporary social theory. Before coming to CCSJ I spent
four years as a performer of children’s poetry and two years as an associate
editor of trade magazines. This is my fourth year at CCSJ. I teach Rhetoric and
Composition, Writing for the Media, American Literature, Global Perspectives,
and Literary Theory and Criticism. I am also the faculty advisor for The Shavings.
Course Time: Wednesday 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Course Description:
This
course will introduce students to the classics of early American literature:
the colonial-era writings of the New England Puritans and other early colonists;
the literature of both revolutionary America and the early years of the nation;
and the works of the American Renaissance, the coming-of-age of a native
American literature in the work of Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Melville, and
Poe. We will begin by examining the Protestant Revolution, the Enlightenment,
and the Romantic Movement, the three basic currents of thought informing early
American literature. We will then proceed topically, examining what representatives
of these three currents of thought have to say about such abiding human
concerns as God, Nature, the Self,
Prerequisite: English 103
and 104
Texts:
The Norton Anthology of
American Literature Vols. A and B.
Benjamin
Franklin Autobiography of Ben Franklin
and Other Writings
Nathaniel
Hawthorne The Scarlet Letter
Learning
Outcomes/Competencies:
Related INTASC Principles
(For Education Majors)
#1 The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry and the structures of the disciplines he/she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students.
#2 The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students’ development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.
#3
The teacher plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students,
the community, and curriculum goals.
Teaching Methods: Lecture, Class Discussion,
Student Presentations
Assessment: You
will be evaluated on six areas of
performance. I have spread the weight around so that your final grade will
not be too dependent on any one area.
a. Class Participation 100 pts.
b. Homework 200 pts.
c. Class Presentation 100 pts.
d. Course Essay 200 pts.
e. Mid-Term Exam 200 pts
f.
Final
Exam 200 pts.
1000 pts. possible
I
reserve the right to add, subtract and otherwise change these requirements; if
I find it necessary, you will be the first to know.
Grading Scale:
Final
grades will be assigned according to the student’s fulfilling the requirements
listed above. They will be assigned on a following traditional scale:
|
970-1000
= A+ |
870-890
= B+ |
770-790
= C+ |
670-690=
D+ |
0-590
= F |
|
940-960
= A |
840-860
= B |
740-760
= C |
640-660
= D |
|
|
900-930
= A- |
800-830
= B- |
700-730
= C- |
600-630
= D- |
|
Areas of Performance:
1. Class
Participation (100 pts). Class participation grades will be given
twice during the semester, once at the midterm and once at the end of the class
(50 pts. each). Class participation is the most subjective and difficult of all
performance to measure, but that does not mean there are no concrete behaviors
that help me to evaluate your participation fairly.
The
follow is a set of profiles will be my guideline:
|
F |
Regularly
comes to class unprepared Never
asks questions or participates in discussion Displays
a negative, indifferent or belligerent attitude |
|
D |
Often
comes to class unprepared Rarely
or infrequently asks questions or participates in discussion Sometimes
displays a negative, belligerent spirit. |
|
C |
Reads
material weekly Regularly
asks questions and participates in class discussion Generally
displays a positive attitude toward class |
B |
All
of C as well as the following: Supports
opinions with evidence from reading selection Listens
well to others and responds to the point |
A |
All
of C and B as well as the following: Makes
insightful comments Moves
discussion forward in interesting ways |
2. Homework (10 assignments, 20 pts. each; 200
pts. total)
Homework
assignments will include reading the
assigned material and writing some kind response. I will usually pose a
specific question that you must answer in the form of a short essay. These assignments will help you to formulate a
response to the week’s reading, encourage you to read carefully and regularly,
and provide an easy way to kick off the night’s class discussion.
3. Class Presentation (100 pts.)
Your
class presentation will be a 5-10 minute
biographical sketch of one of the
authors we will be reading this semester. The presentation should include at
least one picture of the author, a rundown of the most important events of his
or her life, and brief descriptions of his or her major works. An entertaining
story or two about the author would also be nice.
Class
Presentations will be graded on both content and form:
CONTENT FORM
|
Range:
covers all pertinent material directly related to topic |
15
pts |
Clarity:
no difficulty understanding main ideas |
15
pts |
|
Soundness:
Main ideas are accurate/ reliable/truthful |
15
pts |
Organization:
Main ideas are presented in clear/effective order |
15
pts |
|
Appropriateness:
Everything pertains to topic, no wandering |
10
pts |
Creativity:
engaging style w/ visual elements and/or props |
10
pts |
|
Development:
Ideas illustrated fully with specific examples. |
10
pts |
Timing—fills
time/no overtime; pacing good |
10
pts |
|
Subtotal |
50 pts. |
Subtotal |
50
pts |
|
|
|
Total |
100 pts |
4. Final Project (200 pts.)
The
final project will be a 7-10 page paper
on one of the class texts or on a theme common to several of the texts. It is
your chance to pursue in more detail a course book or topic that especially
interests you. It can take the form of
1) a research paper (informative or
persuasive) exploring any topic
relevant to early American literature.
2) an interpretive essay that explicates the meaning of a particular
literary text.
3) a persuasive essay that argues in support
of a position on a controversial issue raised by the class.
4) a paper of your own devising
No
matter what kind of paper you write, your topic must be approved before
starting. The project will include: 1) an initial
proposal that must be approved by me; 2) a clean rough draft that I will comment upon and edit; and 3) a final draft that will only be graded.
5. Mid-Term (200 pts.) and Final Exam (200 pts.)
The
midterm and the final exam are
comprehensive tests of your knowledge and understanding of early American
literature. The first half of both tests will include a variety of types of
questions--multiple choice, matching, T/F and short answers. On the second half
of both exams, you will write an essay in answer to one of five questions.
The
test will cover the assigned reading, my lectures and our class discussions. I
highly recommend that you keep detailed notes in a well-organized notebook. A
week before both exams, I will distribute a review sheet so that there will be
few if any surprises.
Course Calendar:
|
Date |
Topic/Text |
Norton Pages |
|
8/31 |
Introduction to Class/Syllabus Three Currents of Early American Literary Thought |
|
|
9/7 |
God “Sinners
in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards selection
from The Age of Reason by Thomas
Paine “On
the Religion of Nature” by Phillip Freneau “The
Song of Myself (Sections 32, 41, 43, 48) by
Walt Whitman |
A
498-509 A
718-724 A
805-6 B
1148-1159 B
2253ff |
|
9/14 |
Nature “The
Beauty of the World” and “Images or Shadows of Divine Things” by Jonathan
Edwards Letters
X and XI of Letters from an American
Farmer by J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur “Nature”
by Ralph Waldo Emerson “A Descent into the Maelstrom” by Edgar
Allen Poe |
A
509-5-14 xerox B
1106-1134 Xerox |
|
9/21 |
Self “Personal Narrative” by Jonathan EdwardsAutobiography by Benjamin Franklin “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman |
A
464-476 B
2232-2274 |
|
9/28 |
Close Reading I: “Self Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson |
B
1160-1176 |
|
10/5 |
Work: Selection
from The Protestant Ethic and the
Spirit of Capitalism by Max Weber “The
Way to Wealth” by Benjamin Franklin “Life
Without Principle” by Henry David Thoreau “Bartleby”
and “The |
xerox A
515-522 B
2016-2029 B
2330-2371 |
|
10/12 |
Mid-Term Examination--Proposal Due |
|
|
10/19 |
Americans Of “What is an American” by J.
Hector St. John de Crevecoeur “Information to Those Who
Would Remove to by Ben Franklin “Rip Van Winkle” by “Preface” to Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman |
A 657-667 A 528-533 A 528-533 B 978-992 B 2131-2145 |
|
10/26 |
Horror: Happy
Halloween “A Horrible Case of Bestiality” by William Bradford“The Devil’s Territory” by Cotton MatherChapter
IX of Wieland by Charles Brockden
Brown “The
Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by “Young
Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe |
A
190 A
390-397 A
946-956 B
992-1013 B
1263-1272 B
1572-1575 |
|
11/2 |
Sin The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Rough Draft of Final Project Due |
First
Half |
|
11/9 |
Sin The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne |
Second Half |
|
11/16 |
Mystery English Dept. Speaker: Mystery Writer Sandra Tooley “The Purloined Letter” by Edgar Allan Poe |
B 1575-1588 |
|
11/23 |
Conflict Male/Female: “The Great
Lawsuit” by Margaret Fuller Black/White: Narrative of the Life of Frederick
Douglass “Slavery in Massachusets” by Henry David Thoreau “Last of the Anti-Slavery Lectures” by
Ralph W. Emerson Red/White: “An Indian’s
Looking Glass for the White Man” by William Apess |
B 1618-1654 B 2029-2097 B 1982-1992 B 1207-1216 B 1078-1084 |
|
11/30 |
Close Reading II: The
Purpose of Life “Where
I lived and What I Lived For” and
“Conclusion” of
Walden by Henry David Thoreau Final Project Due |
B
1850-1859 B
1974-1982 |
|
12/7 |
Final Examination |
|
Please Note: Modifications to this
syllabus may be made to meet the needs of this specific class.
Class Policy for
Assignments:
All assignments must be
handed in on time, or if late, with a proper and acceptable explanation. Late
papers will adversely affect the student’s grade. I will not accept late papers
the last week of classes.
Class Policy on Tardiness
and Attendance:
In
accordance with English program policy, any
student missing more than NINE (9) hours of class will receive an F. These nine hours include both excused and
unexcused absences; it also includes all tardies of more than 15 minutes.
Please be aware these hours include birthdays, sport events, illness, work,
etc. If a problem arises with your
absences, please come and talk to me immediately.
Our
class begins at 7 o’clock sharp. If you are tardy, I have to stop the class to
get you up to speed. This is unfair to other students, and it wastes time. I
reserve the right to lock the doors to all who are consistently late. I also
reserve the right to mark you absent for the whole class if you develop a habit
of leaving early (which is especially disruptive). In short, I want the
pleasure of your company for the entire
class period.
Class Policy on Electronic
Devices:
Please turn off all cell phones, beepers, etc. It is disruptive to have them going off during class. If there is an important reason why you must have your phone or beeper turned on (e.g. illness at home, work situation), please ask permission before class begins.
Center for Academic
Excellence:
Tutoring
assistance is free to all students of Calumet College of St. Joseph. Call the
Center for Academic Excellence (CAE), to make an appointment at 473-4287. The
Center has experienced and well-trained tutors in most subject areas to help
students who are struggling in a course or who are doing well and would like to
do better. Regular weekly tutoring sessions are likely to improve your grade.
Statement of Plagiarism:
If an instructor or other Calumet College of St. Joseph personnel find that a student has plagiarized or been involved in another form of academic dishonesty, the instructor or other personnel may elect to bring the matter up for judicial review. The maximum penalty for any form of academic dishonesty is dismissal from the College. The procedures for judicial review are listed under the section of CCSJ handbook that addresses student grievances. (Academic Planner 2001/2002 p.27) Please be aware that your paper may be submitted for examination for plagiarism to Turnitin.com, a plagiarism-check Internet company with which the college has contracted.
Withdrawal from Classes
Policy:
After
the last day for class changes has passed (see College calendar), students may
withdraw from a course in which they are registered with permission from the
faculty member conducting the course. A written request detailing the reason(s)
for the withdrawal must be filed with the Registrar. A written request for the
withdrawal must be received by the Registrar by the last day of classes prior
to the final examination dates specified in the catalogue. Written requests may
be mailed to the Registrar or faxed to the College fax number 219-473-4259.
Students are to make note of the refund schedule when withdrawing from courses.
The
request is forwarded to the faculty member, who makes the final determination
to accept or deny the request. If the request is honored, the student will
receive notification of official withdrawal; if denied, the notification will
indicate why the withdrawal is disallowed. Note: Degree Completion Division
(DCD) students should consult the DCD Student Handbook for information on DCD
withdrawals.
An
official withdrawal is recorded as a "W" grade on the student's
transcript. Dropping a course without written permission automatically incurs
an "F" grade for the course (see Refund Schedule).