MISSOURI WESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY

Division of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Department  of English / Foreign Languages / Journalism

SPRING 2006 

 

ENGLISH 210: APPROACHES TO LITERATURE

Native American Literature

Section 01:   8:00 – 9:20 a.m. TTH   Eder Hall 210

 

INSTRUCTOR: DR. ELIZABETH LATOSI-SAWIN

Office: Eder 215    Office Hours: 11:00 – 1:30 TTH

Email: sawin@missouriwestern.edu

Phone: 271-4274 [Please identify yourself, the date and time of your call. IF you need me to return your call, you must give me your telephone number clearly and at less than supersonic speed.

                

COURSE OBJECTIVES AND MEANS FOR  210 :

Objectives:

  • To develop students’ understanding of the ways in which humans have

addressed their condition through imaginative work in the humanities;

  • To deepen their understanding of how that imaginative process is informed

and limited by social, cultural, linguistic, and historical circumstances;

  • To appreciate the world of creative imagination as a form of knowledge.
  • To develop students’ abilities to understand the moral and ethical values of a diverse society

Means:

  • Read poetry, fiction, nonfiction and drama
  • Recognize the major characteristics of literary genres
  • Investigate methods of approaching literature
  • Explain historical, cultural, and social contexts in humanities.
  • Identify and apply standards to make critical judgments in humanities.
  • Compare and contrast historical and cultural ethical perspectives and belief systems
  • Recognize conflicts within and between value systems

 

REQUIRED TEXTS:

  • FOOLS CROW by James Welch
  • TRACKS by Louise Erdrich
  • CEREMONY by Leslie Marmon Silko
  • We will also read Native American POETRY online, in the library, and in books owned by the instructor.
  • We will see FILMS such as Smoke Signals, Pow Wow Highway, and relevant videos from the historical series, How the West Was Lost.

 

REQUIRED ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING POLICY :

Paper #1                                                   80 points

Paper #2                                                   80 points

Mid-term (or two tests)                       100 points                              *Students taking this course for Honors will

Final                                                       100 points                              do a research project and present findings to

Attendance / Participation                                   40 points                              the class. Individual consultations with instructor.

                                                                                               

                                                100%     400 points      

 

A = 91% or above      B = 81% of above     C =  71% or above      D =  61% or above       F =  60% or below

 

CLASSROOM COURTESY

  • Please come to class on time.
  • Turn off your cell phones as soon as sit down.
  • Do not chew gum or eat food. (College policy)
  • Respect other people’s turn to talk during a class discussion by listening to what they say.

 

 

 

 

ATTENDANCE / PARTICIPATION POLICY:

Because we meet only twice / week, regular and punctual attendance is important 

Perfect attendance & thoughtful participation               A+          40 points

1 absence & thoughtful participation               A             37 points

2 absences & thoughtful participation             B             34 points

3 absences                                                            C            31 points

4 absences (2 weeks of class)                            C -          28 points

5 or more absences              No participation points

I reserve the right to waive the penalty for highly unusual  (and fully documented) extenuating circumstances, although I accept no obligation to do so.  You are responsible for obtaining assignments, notes, and handouts from a responsible classmate if you do miss class. Be sure to sign the DAILY ROSTER that I will hand out for purposes of keeping track of attendance.  If you do not sign your own name, you are not officially here. If you come late or leave early, you may be marked absent.

 

REQUIRED MATERIALS:

Pads of white, lined 8.5x11 inch white paper for in-class writing.

(This paper is not to be torn from a spiral notebook.)  Pocket folder for class materials. Computer discs.

  

MAKE-UP POLICY / LATE PAPERS:

There will be no make-up opportunities for points awarded for in-class writing, missed discussions, or unannounced quizzes. When a final draft is due, you must hand it in on the due date at the beginning of the hour. Late papers delay the instructor’s evaluation of everyone’s work. Late papers receive the following reductions if submitted past deadline:  An 80 point paper turned in one day late is worth a maximum of 70 points (B+).  Two days late: 64 (B-).  Three days late: 56 points (C-). Four days late: 48 points (D) No paper will be accepted more than 3 days after it is due.

 

DISABLED STUDENT POLICY:

If you have a recognized disability that requires special consideration, please make an appointment to see me during the first week of classes so that we can discuss privately how I might help you to meet the course requirements.

 

ACADEMIC HONESTY:

You are expected to do your own reading and writing in this course.  Any student who submits someone else’s work as his or her own will receive no credit (0 points) for that assignment.  A second infraction will earn an “F” in the course and be reported to the Dean of Students and to the Academic Dean.

 

REQUIRED FORMATTING:

Identify yourself in the upper, right-hand corner:

Name

English 210

Nature of Assignment

Date

Use regular white paper.  Leave one-inch margins.

Single-space within paragraphs.  Double space between paragraphs

Print clear, dark copy.

 

SCHEDULE OF OUT-OF-CLASS READINGS (Part One)

 

Jan. 17   Introduction to course

Jan 19    READ Fools Crow PART I: 3-69.  For each chapter, write a brief plot summary.  (66 pages)

    • What personal characteristics does White Man’s Dog have?
    • Contrast him to Rides-at-the door, Fast Horse, Running Fisher, and Yellow Kidney
    • What cultural practices and beliefs do the Lone Eaters have?
    • How does the language of James Welch help to create the world of the Blackfeet Indians?

 

Jan. 24  READ Fools Crow PART I: 70-125  (55 pages) 

Jan. 26  READ Fools Crow PART II: 129-202               (73 pages)

Jan. 31   READ Fools Crow PART III: 207-284              (77 pages)

Feb. 2     READ Fools Crow PART IV: 289-391              (102 pages)