Course Title: Prose Reading, Sept. 2006 – June 2007
Class Meetings: Monday 8:00 - 10:00, H211
Instructor: Jing-fen Su e-mail: esth_su@yahoo.com.tw
Online Discussion Board: http://tw.club.yahoo.com/clubs/Prose_Reading/
Objectives:
1. To improve reading skills and enhance comprehension
2. To learn to analyze and discuss structure and style of prose work
Textbook:
Peterson, Linda H., John C. Brereton, and Joan E. Hartman, ed. The Norton Reader: An
Anthology of Nonfiction Prose, Shorter 11 th ed. New York: Norton, 2000. ( 書林 )
Course Requirements:
1.
Class Attendance: Class attendance and participation in class discussion are essential.
Students who do not show up in class for more than THREE times will fail this course.
2.
Reading Assignments: You are supposed to complete all the reading assignments before attending classes and be prepared to answer simple questions in class.
3.
Midterm Exam: The midterm exam will include essay questions testing your comprehension and interpretation of the articles discussed in class.
4.
One Essay: You have to turn in one final essay (3-5 pages) on any article(s) from the textbook. Try to present your ideas in your own words; PLAGIARISM will definitely make your grade suffer. Late submission will not be accepted.
5.
Group Presentation: You are required to join a discussion group comprising of FIVE or
SIX, working on TEN essays of your own choice from the textbook (excluding those discussed in class) outside class. It is to encourage you to share opinions and develop insights with your group members. Besides posting your group discussions online regularly, each group has to hand in a hardcopy of your online posts and give a 20-minute final presentation.
Grading Policy:
10% Class Attendance & Participation
30% Midterm Exam
30% Final Essay (double-spaced, 3-5 pages; due January 2)
30% Group Presentation and Written Report
Class Schedule:
Meeting 1 (9/12)
Course introduction
“Reading and Writing with
The Norton Reader ,” xix-xxvi
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Meeting 2 (9/19)
E. B. White, “Once More to the Lake,” pp. 52-58
Meeting 3 (9/26)
Toni Morrison, “Strangers,” pp.74-78
Meeting 4 (10/3)
Kathleen Norris, “The Holy Use of Gossip,” pp. 101-05
Meeting 5 (10/10)
David Guterson, “Enclosed. Encyclopedic. Endured: The Mall of America,” pp. 111-23
Meeting 6 (10/17)
Harvey Mansfield, “The Partial Eclipse of Manliness,” pp. 139-47
Meeting 7 (10/24)
Anna Quindlen, “Between the Sexes, A Great Divide,” pp.158-60
Meeting 8 (10/31)
Amy Cunningham, “Why Women Smile,” pp. 160-65
Meeting 9 (11/7)
※ In-class Midterm Exam
Meeting 10 (11/14)
Fred Strebeigh, “The Wheels of Freedom: Bicycles in China,” pp. 215-25
Meeting 11 (11/21)
John Holt, “How Teachers Make Children Hate Reading,” pp. 249-56
Meeting 12 (11/28)
James Thurber, “University Days,” pp. 257-62
Meeting 13 (12/5)
William Zisser, “College Pressures,” pp. 262-68
Meeting 14 (12/12)
Wayne C. Booth, “Boring from Within: The Art of the Freshman Essay,” pp. 276-87
Garrison Keillor, “How to Write a Letter,” “Postcards,” pp.312-17
Meeting 15 (12/19)
Group Presentation
Meeting 16 (12/26)
Group Presentation
Meeting 17 (1/2)
Group Presentation
※ Final Essay due
Meeting 17 (1/9)
Final exam week; no class
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