Dr.
Karen U. Fulton, Professor
Tel:
271-4317(English) 271-5995 (Study Away)
email:
fulton@missouriwestern.edu
Office:
222H Eder Hall Monday 10-11 and 1-3, Tuesday/Thursday
11-12
Final Examination
Thursday,
December 11 at
Grisham,
John. The Rainmaker.
James,
P. D. The Children of Men.
English
210 fulfills Category IV General Studies requirements.
These goals can be found on http://www.mwsc.edu/~engdept/genstud.html. All
English 210 sections provide practice in reading poetry, prose fiction, and
drama.
Film
210 means
Academic Honesty Policy and Due Process
Academic
honesty is required in all academic endeavors. Violations of academic honesty
include any instance of plagiarism, cheating, seeking credit for another’s
work, falsifying documents or academic records, or any other fraudulent
activity. Violations of academic honesty may result in a failing grade on
the assignment, failure in the course, or expulsion from the University. When a
student’s grade has been affected, violations of academic honesty will be
reported to the Provost or designated representative on the Academic Honesty
Violation Report Form.
Please
see the 2008-2009 Student Handbook and Calendar for specific activities
identified as violations of this policy and the student due process
procedure. This handbook is also available online at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/handbook/index.pdf
It
is required that students submit their own work in this class. Students who are
guilty of plagiarism or cheating in any form will automatically receive a zero
for the assignment involved and will place themselves in jeopardy of failing
the course.
Students
who have a disability which might prevent their maximum performance in the
class should make this known to the instructor immediately so that provisions
may be made for any assistance needed.
This
is a college class and you are expected to behave as a mature college student.
By choosing to take this section of ENG 210:
Approaches to Literature, you are committing to being a fully participating audience
member. In spite of the wizardry
of modern technology, films are meant to be viewed collectively, so that your
response may join with others and so that you become aware of the fact that a
given film may affect you in a far different manner than someone else in the
class.
When
we are viewing films, the “writing lights” will be left on, so that you can
take notes or make responses as you are watching the film.
Distractions
must be kept to a minimum so that you can watch the film with your full
attention and also be aware of others’ responses. Therefore no cell phones,
pagers, instant messaging devices or other electronic equipment are allowed to
operate in this classroom. Cell phones must be turned off when you enter the
classroom and may not be turned on until the plane has reached the gate (oops,
wrong announcement—same idea). Electronic equipment may not be used for
game-playing or instant messaging. It can distract others; it will certainly
distract you. If you have a situation that requires that you can be reached,
talk with the instructor prior to class about putting your cell phone on
vibrate and take the call outside the classroom. If I see an electronic
offense, you will leave the classroom, take an absence for the day, and not be
allowed to complete any out-of-class or in-class assignments.
I
begin class when the computer shows
As
an audience participant, you should be courteous to others. Conversation and
whispering during the film is distracting to other students. During the
instructor’s presentation of material, students should be listening and taking
notes. If questions are asked by others, listen carefully to the question and
the answer, so that the material does not have to be repeated. It is rude (as
well as distracting) to talk or whisper during this class. I require that all
members of the class sit in the front five rows and be seated one full seat
away from your neighbor. You are expected to be an active participant in this class.
Therefore a sleeping student will be awakened and will receive an
absence for the day.
As
a responsible member of the audience, you will turn in all work on time and in
the format specified. If the work does not conform to specifications or is late,
it will be penalized by a loss of points.
Chapters
of the Film 2008 Book are placed on the O/P drive and/or
I
post grades on the O/P and/or
Four False Assumptions about this Class
Assumption 1: There is no reading in the class; we only watch films.
Assumption 2: All work is done in class; there is no homework.
Assumption 3: The films have been chosen entirely based upon student
enjoyment; therefore I will like every film in this class.
Assumption 4: Every film we see will be a comfortable experience for me;
all films will reinforce my moral belief system.
Grading Policies
The
class grade is computed on the basis of 200 points divided into halves.
1.
Class work (100 pts. Total) Eleven of these exercises will be given; the lowest
score will be dropped.
·
Multiple choice
quizzes over reading and films
·
Short answer
applications of written material to films
·
Take home
written responses
2.
Tests (100 points total)
ü
10 point survey
(all or nothing)
ü
50 point
take-home essay (5-6 page maximum)
3.
Total points possible 200 pts.
·
Opportunities to
earn a maximum of 15 points extra credit are given during the second half of the
semester. These extra credit assignments are all or nothing.
Some Important Formatting Issues
Ratings Journal
ü
All classes will
end with you handing in your "rating" slip for the film; there is
space on the quiz sheets I hand out for this. Otherwise you will turn in
a rating with your name and the film’s name on notebook paper. The notebook
paper is required to be a complete sheet and not have squiggles hanging from
it. If the sheet is torn or “squiggly,” 2 points will be deducted from your
next 10-point assignment.
ü
You are expected
to keep a rating journal over the course of the semester, listing your own
rating as well as the class rating of the film and the Internet Movie Data Base
(IMDb) rating which will be found on the P-drive
under Tally. The journal will be reproduced as part of the Final examination
survey.
Calendar
ENG 210-07 Calendar
Approaches to Literature
Film Literature
Class 1 (8/26) Fill out
information sheets. Syllabus
coverage, introduction to O/P-drive and
Class 2 (9/2) Prior to
class, read Chapters 1 “A (Extremely) Brief (and Biased) History of (American)
Film” and 3 “The Classic Film”. View “
Class 3 (9/9) Prior to class
read Chapter 4 “Accepting Uncertainty—the Modern Film.” View “Memento” and
“Making of a Scene in ‘Memento.’”
Class 4 (9/16) Prior to
class, read Chapter 5 “Genre and Comedy”. View “The Awful Truth” During the
next two weeks, you should be reading The
Children of Men
Class 5 (9/23) Prior to
class, read Chapter 6 “Crime Films and the Film Noir.”
Class 6 (9/30) Prior to class,
read Chapter 2 ”The (Very) Least You Should Know about
Film (and Literature),” “The Chapter 7 The Visionary Film” and Appendix A
“Writing Persuasively.” View “Children of Men”; topics for mid-term essay
handed out.
Class 7
(10/7) Mid-term due.
Class 8 (10/14) Prior to class, read Chapter 12 “Beyond Borders 2: Films of
the Disenfranchised”
Class 9 (10/21) Prior to
class, read Chapter 8 “The Action Film.”
Class 10 (10/28) Prior to
class, read Chapter 9 “Music and Musicals.” View “Singin’ in the Rain.” From this point on, you should
be reading John Grisham’s The Rainmaker.
Class 11 (11/4) Prior to class, read Chapter 10 “Beyond Borders 1: Foreign
Films.” View “The Lives of Others”
Class 12 (11/18) Prior to class, read Chapter 11 “Truth or Dare:
Documentaries.” View “Sicko.”
Class 13 (12/2) View “The
Rainmaker.” Final Essay Question and Survey handed out.
Final
Thursday, December 11 at 2 pm. Turn in surveys and writing.