English 1B
Instructor: Grant Richards
Fall 2015
Office: Hum 111
Office Phone: 848-4710
Office Hours: 12:45-1:45 (Monday & Wednesday), 10:15-11:15 (Tuesday & Thursday), and by appointment
E-mail Address: grichards@gavilan.edu
Course Prerequisites: Successful completion of English 1A
Required Materials:
-Literature (12th Ed.), X. J. Kennedy & Dana Gioia
-A novel to be determined at a later date
Recommended Materials:
-MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
-A good college dictionary and thesaurus
Course Objectives:
This course provides an introduction to literary analysis and continues the development of the student's ability to write clear, concise, well-developed, and well-organized essays.
The writing exercises will range from personal responses (to a given short story, poem, novel, or play) to critiques of the literary works. Writing is the sharpened, focused expression of thought and study. As you develop your writing skills, you also improve your perceptions and increase your critical faculties. Our subject is literature: studying it, asking questions about it, and, above all, writing about it.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will become familiar with the four genres of imaginative literature, short fiction, drama, the novel, and poetry, as well as critical approaches to each literary format. Students will learn to refine their thoughts through small and large group discussion, through interactive projects, and through formal and informal written responses to the literature. Students will learn the techniques of literary research and will learn to identify central issues in content and style, to separate major and minor issues, to think critically about the written word, and to find tools to clearly express their developed thoughts.
Assignments:
*Four formal essays
*Research paper
*Oral Poetry Explication
Late Papers:
All work is due on the dates specified. No exceptions. The highest grade a late essay can get is a C. If you are ill or have a serious problem, you must make special arrangements for your work. If you are absent the day that an essay is due, you can have someone slide it under my office door before class begins. Special Note: You must complete all assigned work in order to pass the course.
Essay Format:
All essays must follow the MLA format, which means all essays must be typed, double-spaced, and have margins (and headers and footers) of one inch. It's okay to very carefully make corrections on the final draft before submitting it for a grade because typos, spelling errors, and other slips count against you.
Attendance:
This class starts exactly when scheduled. If you cannot commit yourself to arriving on time, please take steps immediately to find yourself another course. Both you and I have the right on rare occasions to be a few minutes late, but no more! Experience has shown me that your work (and therefore your grades) will suffer if you miss more than two or three classes. I take attendance off of a sign-in sheet; if you do not sign the sheet, you will be marked absent. Students who miss more than four classes will be dropped. If you must be absent, try to contact me ahead of time to find out what we will be doing in class, or talk to a classmate to find out what you missed. You are responsible for all assigned work whether or not you are in class when I assign it. Attending class means more than just showing up. You must come prepared to participate, having read and thought about all assigned readings and having completed all assigned work. As a bonus, a student with perfect attendance will earn the right to change his or her worst essay (not including the research paper) to an A.
Grading:
Your final grade will be based on 1,000 points, including four formal essays (100 points each), a midterm (100 points), a final exam (100), research paper (200 points), an oral poetry explication (50 points), and quizzes and class participation (150).
Plagiarism & Cheating:
Students are expected to exercise academic honesty and integrity. Violations such as cheating and plagiarism will result in disciplinary action, which may include recommendation for dismissal.
Safe Environment:
Learning occurs most productively in a safe, respectful environment. Differences of viewpoints and experience are expected and welcomed in class discussions. If you don't feel safe or respected, please come see me.
Honesty Policy:
Students are expected to exercise academic honesty and integrity. Violations such as cheating and plagiarism will result in disciplinary action, which may include recommendation for dismissal.
ADA Accommodations:
Students requiring special services or arrangements because of hearing, visual, or other disability should contact their instructor, counselor, or the Disabled Student Services Office.
Occupational/Vocational Students:
Limited English language skills will not be a barrier to admittance to and participation in Vocational Education Programs.
This area is subject to change!
August
Mon. 25th: Discuss course outline
Pictures
Group activities
Homework:
Read: Plot & The Short Story pp. 13-15
“A&P” p. 16
“A Good Man Is Hard To Find” p. 369
Wed. 27th: Discuss Plot
Discuss stories
Homework:
Read: Point of View pp. 25-28
“A Rose For Emily” p. 29
“The Tell-Tale Heart” p. 36
Writing About a Story pp. 1912-1920
Mon. 1st: Discuss Essay #1
Discuss Point of View
Discuss stories
Homework:
Read: “An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge” p. 485
“Sweat” p. 529
“Young Goodman Brown” p. 420