Eng 104 - Syllabus

ENGLISH 210: APPROACHES TO LITERATURE

Spring 2002

Missouri Western State College

Division of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Journalism

Section - 01, 9:00-9:50 MWF, SSC 210

Instructor: Tom Pankiewicz

Office: SSC 222R

Office Hours: 10:00-11:00 and 12:00-1:00 MWF and by appointment

Phone: 271-4156

E-mail: pankiew@missouriwestern.edu

ENG 210 Approaches to Literature. A general studies course emphasizing ways of reading and writing about poetry, fiction and drama. Various thematic approaches may be offered.

For a complete course description and objectives, visit to the English Department web-site at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/EFLJ/eng210.asp

COURSE PHILOSOPHY

Storytellers Telling Stories is about discovering or re-discovering the importance of story.

We all have stories to tell. Our stories reveal our loves and our hates, our laughter and our tears, our confidence and our fears. Our stories explain how and why we have formed certain opinions or made specific decisions. They explain what impact our actions have had on others. Our stories shape us.

We have also been affected by the stories of others. We read and re-read the same books until we know some stories by heart and call some characters friend. We sit spellbound through movies. We listen again and again to songs that haunt us. We call friends to share stories and laugh at new jokes. These stories too shape our attitudes and beliefs.

In this course, we will examine the impact of story in our lives. We will write of our stories. We will also read and discuss the works of other writers. Through our study of how individuals, both real and fictional, face problems, conflicts, and issues, we will examine how story affects us.

Instructor's Philosophy

(What I believe about teaching literature and how I will apply these beliefs to this course.)

Readers must discuss. The opportunity to discuss literature, to ask questions, to offer reactions and opinions, to form interpretations will be part of almost every class. This discussion will take both oral and written forms.

Readers must think beyond the surface of the story. We will focus on character, structure, language, and details to understand and appreciate individual works.

Readers need to understand that literature shows, does not always tell. We must recognize when characters and situations change and why these changes occur. We must study how these changes affect the characters within the work and our understanding.

Readers must be independent thinkers. I will ask you to focus your thinking on specific questions, write frequent responses, lead a class discussion, and examine themes from a personal point of view.

Readers must discover how literature creates a magic spell, how literature engages us. We need to learn how writers grab our attention, make us want to read about a situation or character, and force us to think about an issue or event.

Readers must relate what they read to their own experiences. I expect you to write frequent responses about how you understand and interpret various selections.

REQUIRED MATERIALS

Meyer, Michael. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. 5^th Edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's,2000.

Kingsolver, Barbara. The Bean Trees. New York: Harper, 1988.

O'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. New York: Broadway, 1990.

A spiral or bound notebook or a folder that will bind computer printouts and handwritten papers.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Assignments and Grading

Reading: As in all literature classes, reading is essential. You will have a reading assignment for every class. You are expected to come to class with questions and comments about what has been read and ready to participate actively in class discussions. Reading will be assessed through my observation of your participation in discussion, quizzes, journal writings, and other class activities.

Journal: A one-page (at least 200 words) response is due at the beginning of each class session unless you receive other directions. The journal response will:

focus on one of the assigned reading to be discussed during that class.
be dated and state the title of the selection and the author in the upper margin.
include essential information (title and author of the selection, and the controlling idea of the essay) in the introduction.
have an introduction, body, and conclusion.
be shared with other students during the class.
be evaluated several times during the semester.
occasionally be on an assigned topic.
be bound.

Assigned Essays: You will write at least three essays during the semester. These essays are:

A discussion of the impact significant book or story has had.
An original short story.
An analysis on one of the major readings.

Presentation: You will lead the discussion of at least one of the texts read this semester.

Participation: You are expected to participate in such class activities as group discussions, in-class writing, and quizzes.

Mid-term and final exams.

Late work: I expect you to complete all assignments on time. Late assignments (this is any work that is not submitted on time and includes assignments left at home or "temporarily lost" by a computer malfunction) will result in a deduction of that assignment’s grade. If you are facing difficulties in completing a major assignment, please discuss the problems with me before the essay is due.

Grading Scale: All work will be evaluated on a point basis. Letter grades will be awarded according to the following averages:

100% - 90% = A
89% - 80% = B
79% - 70% = C
69% - 60% = D
Below 60% = F

Attendance

For this class to be successful and for you to be successful in it, attendance is mandatory. I expect you to be on time and ready to participate for every class meeting. I realize that "things" sometimes come up. Therefore, you are allowed two absences before your course grade will be affected. More than two absences may result in a grade deduction. More than six absences will fail you.

If you miss a class session, you are responsible for all material covered and assignments given during your absence. Since all out-of-class assignments are due at the beginning of the class period, assignments due on the day of an absence must be submitted--in person--before the next class.

Quizzes, in-class writing and class activities cannot be made up if you are late for class or absent.

If you miss class because of a college-sponsored activity, you will not be penalized. It is your responsibility to contact me before class for assignments.

Academic Honesty

Plagiarism is an act of theft. It is taking another’s words or ideas and calling them your own. That does not mean you cannot use another’s words or ideas to illustrate and to support your thoughts, but it does mean that you must give credit to the one whose words and ideas you are using.

If I find evidence of cheating or plagiarism, you have the burden of showing that the paper has in fact been written by you. You should keep thorough evidence of your writing processes for all papers so that you can meet this burden of proof. You will receive a grade of F for any paper that shows sufficient evidence of cheating and/or plagiarism. Stronger evidence proving flagrant cheating and/or plagiarism may lead to even stronger penalties. Please note carefully the statement on plagiarism on the departmental website, found at http://www2.mwsc.edu/eflj/plagiarism.html .

Conferences

I believe that the most effective teaching occurs through conferences. If you are having difficulty in class, please drop by my office so we can talk about the problem. My office hours are listed above. I bring a calendar to every class to schedule appointments. I encourage you to make use of this opportunity.

Disabled Student Policy

Any student enrolled in this course who has a disability that prevents the fullest expression of abilities or that prevents or hinders the completion of class requirements as stated in the syllabus should contact me as soon as possible so we can discuss class requirements.

Center for Academic Support

The Center for Academic Support provides trained tutors for students requiring additional reading and writing instruction. There is no cost to students for using these services. You are encouraged to make use of these services throughout this course.