ENGL 2343/Harrison 1
ENGL 2342/Forms of Literature I (Multicultural Literature)
16-Week Hybrid Course/Syllabus/Fall 2015
Section No.: 76223 FTF Tues. 5:30pm-7:00pm, Stafford/Hub, Rm. 222
Instructor: Lee Harrison, HCC Southwest English Faculty
Office: Learning Hub, 3rd Floor, Cubicle 3.18
E-mail: harrison.hcc.lit@gmail.com
Course Home Page: https://sites.google.com/site/engl2343multiculturallit/ (our main course site)
HCC Learning Web: http://learning.hccs.edu/faculty/lee.harrison (Used only for links to course home page)
Office hours: Scheduled office hours this semester: Tuesday 1:30-2:00pm and 5:00-5:30pm; Thursday
12:00-12:30pm and 5:00-5:30pm. I am happy to meet with you to discuss an assignment or course progress
at these times before or after class, in my office or at another HCC Southwest location, or by email. Simply let
me know that you need a conference.
Course Description & Purpose
This course seeks to expand students’ knowledge of literature genres and their development, the relationship
between literature and culture, and the ways in which these literary genres reflect and create our human
cultures. Among other activities, students will read and respond to poetry, drama, fiction and non-fiction and
other forms and genres; through discussion and a variety of formal and informal written assignments, students
will hopefully learn to enjoy, appreciate and more critically examine both literature and culture--and the ways
both connect with our human narrative heritage.
Textbooks & Materials
No textbook required--all course readings will be made available through the course home page
Required:
An e-mail account for communicating with instructor and fellow students
Access to a computer and printer (available on-campus), and a college-level dictionary & thesaurus
Course Assignments & Grade Percentages
Participation (reading, discussion, attendance): 10%
Reading Quizzes: 20%
Online Assignments: 20%
Mid-Term Exam: 20%
Individual Semester Project: 20%
Custom Category (class to propose/create): 10%
Please note that this course meets FTF (face-to-face) on Tuesday, 5:30-7:00pm, but there are
required online assignments in the week that are part of course attendance and participation.
Reading Quizzes
These quizzes show evidence of reading assigned material, the students’ ability to summarize the main ideas
and arguments of the text accurately and thoroughly, and show that students are reading and engaging with
the assigned texts. The course readings are crucial for all other assignments and reading quizzes will be
increasingly analytical as the semester progresses.
Note that if you do not read assigned material we’ll focus on in class, you have little ability to usefully
participate in reading discussions or related class activities. Missed quizzes cannot be made up, but I will
generally drop the lowest quiz grade of the semester. While I generally do not lower an overall quiz grade
because a student is not participating in discussion or class activities—usually the quiz grades reflect this
anyway—I will sometimes raise that grade somewhat for those who add a great deal to class discussion and inclass activities in conjunction with good quiz scores.
ENGL 2343/Harrison 2
Online Activities
These are all activities that will have some online component where you will post comments, assignments, peer
reviews, journals, grammar exercises, etc. Note that your participation in these activities is mandatory, and
counts toward your attendance—not doing online assignments means you’re not attending those class days.
However, simply doing the assignment is only the first step; you will be graded as well on the quality of the
finished product as well.
Mid-Term Exam
The exam will cover assigned course readings, and will have a variety of questions types, including short essay.
The class will construct/design a study guide to help in preparation for the exam. Students will also be
responsible for helping create questions for the exam and these questions will constitute 10% of the exam
grade.
Individual Semester Project
This assignment is one where you show your ability to analyze and interpret a work (or works) of literature and
more generally your ability to engage with literature/multicultural literature in a thoughtful way. You will have
various options to choose from, including creating a cross-disciplinary or cross-genre project that allows
interpretation/analysis from multiple perspectives; creating of a piece of art, photography, video or some other
visual work that interprets one of our readings; submitting creative writing such as poetry, fiction or a memoir
that relates to our readings in some way or to the idea of culture more generally; writing an extended reading
journal or a formal analytical essay on a selected reading or readings, or a bibliographic essay, and so on. You
will have some say in what form your project takes, and I will consult with each of your personally to see what
directions you’d like to pursue. See the Course Home page for more information.
Paper/Assignment Formatting & Identification
All formal papers should be formatted according to Modern Language Association (MLA) guidelines, which
generally means type-written, double-spaced, 12 point Times Roman font, 1 inch margins. We’ll discuss this in
class, but you can easily consult on-line guidelines for MLA formatting style.
Due Dates and Missed or Incomplete Work
In-class writing, homework and exercises (including quizzes) are daily grades and cannot be made up. Major
assignments are due the beginning of class on the day noted. If for some reason you must miss class and
cannot turn in one of these assignments, you may e-mail the assignment by midnight that day. This does not
apply to in-class tests or exams, which must be written in class under my supervision and cannot be revised.
Attendance/Tardy Policy
Regular attendance is required at Houston Community College; more important, the success of this class
depends on both your presence and participation. HCCS class policy states that a student who is absent more
than 12.5% (6 hours or 4 MW or TTH classes) of class may be dropped by the instructor, and I generally follow
this policy.
I realize, however, that there are times that you must miss class for various reasons, and I don’t like the
Solomon-like task of deciding if a student’s car wreck is more serious than another student’s illness. Therefore,
you will have 2 absences (for whatever reason) with no penalty, and I encourage you to save them for
emergencies and use them wisely. If you don’t use them, great—that certainly counts at grading time.
When you must miss class for any reason, it is your responsibility to find out what was missed, what
handouts were distributed, and what changes were made in the syllabus. Certainly you can and should e-mail
me for assignments and questions, but please don’t ask me to give a re-cap of the day’s events—limited time
and a great number of students simply won’t allow me to individually teach course material. Always check the
syllabus to see what is scheduled, and my Learning Web home page for any course documents you may have
missed or lost.
Academic Honesty
According to the Student Handbook for the HCC System, scholastic dishonesty includes cheating on a test,
plagiarism, and collusion. Cheating on a test includes copying from another student's test paper, using material
not authorized by the person giving the test, collaborating with another student during a test, knowingly using,
buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in whole or part the contents of a test. Collusion means the
unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work offered for credit. Plagiarism means
ENGL 2343/Harrison 3
the appropriation of another's work and the unacknowledged incorporation of that work into one's own written
work offered for credit, including using another person’s words or ideas without citation, acknowledgement or
quotation marks (if exact words are used). Plagiarism results in a grade of zero on that project, as does
cheating or collusion. Plagiarism or collusion on a second major assignment results in a zero in the
course and possible recommendation for dismissal from the College System. Though we will discuss
plagiarism in class, you are responsible for understanding what plagiarism is, since I can’t know what each of
you individually knows or doesn’t know about the subject. For further information, see the HCC Student
Handbook. That being said, your classmates and I are interested in your words and ideas, and your valuable
perspective on the readings, not someone else’s.
Assessment & Grading
Though some assignments throughout the semester may be graded on a +/- scale (for example, 88 = B+, 85 =
B, 82 = B-), in accordance with HCC policy, final grades in this course will be whole letter grades based on the
following scale: 90-100 = A, 80-89 = B, 70-79 = C, 60-69 = D, 59 or below = F. I will usually round up (e.g.,
an 89.5 is rounded to a 90). For some informal assignments, you’ll receive only a check plus, check, check
minus, check minus minus, and these roughly correspond to A, B, C and Unacceptable (either in length or
apparent effort). During assessment periods and at semester’s end, these will be translated into a letter grade.
New HCC Policy on Repeating Courses
HCC and other Texas colleges and universities now charge higher course fees to students who repeat a course
three or more times, either with an F or by dropping with a W after the 12th class day—see the calendar for the
specific date. It has thus become increasingly important for you to succeed in and pass a course the first time
around, or to drop it before that 12th day. If you are struggling, please ask your instructor/counselor about
opportunities for tutoring/other assistance prior to considering course withdrawal, or if you are not receiving
passing grades.
HCC Course Withdrawal Policy
While a grade of W (Withdraw) is useful for preserving one’s grade point average since it doesn’t average with
other grades, excessive Ws can be a problem. Beginning Fall 2007, the State of Texas started imposing
penalties on students who withdraw/drop courses excessively. Students are limited to no more than 6 (six) total
course withdrawals throughout their educational career at a Texas public college or university. Students are
encouraged to review the HCC 6 Drop Policy. To help you avoid having to withdraw from any class, contact
your professor regarding your academic performance. You may also want to contact an HCC counselor to learn
about helpful HCC resources (e.g. online tutoring, child care, financial aid, job placement, etc.).
If a student wants to avoid incurring a W, he/she must drop themselves from a course by the Official Date of
Record, which is the 12th class day. See “Important Dates” in this syllabus or see HCC’s Academic Calendar by
Term on the HCC homepage for withdrawal dates and deadlines.
International Students: Receiving a “W” in a course may affect the status of your student visa. Once a “W”
is given for the course, it will not be changed to an “F” because of the visa consideration. Please contact the
International Student Office at 713-718-8520 if you have any questions about your visa status and any other
transfer issues.
Student Self-Withdrawal from the Course: In the event that a student, after careful consideration, chooses
to withdraw from this course, or simply stops attending for some reason, it is the student’s responsibility to
drop or withdraw herself/himself and he/she must do so by the official last day to drop (see calendar for date).
The professor can also drop a student for excessive absences; please note that a professor may drop a student
without prior notification. After the Withdraw date (see calendar), a professor can only grant a grade A-F or FX
(F for excessive absences).
Final Grade of “FX”
If a student stops attending the course or incurs the maximum number of absences after the official drop date
(see calendar for date), then he/she will receive a grade of “FX,” which is treated exactly the same as a grade
of “F” in terms of GPA, probation, suspension, and satisfactory academic progress. However, note that a grade
of “FX” (which indicates an F for excessive absences or non-attendance) is different from an F (which indicates
poor performance) in that the FX can affect one’s financial aid funding. HCC will not disperse financial aid
funding for students who have never attended class or attended only sporadically. Students who receive
financial aid but fail to attend class will be reported to the Department of Education and may have to pay back
their aid. See Attendance Policy & HCC Course Withdrawal Policy below for more information.
ENGL 2343/Harrison 4
Student Course Reinstatement Policy
According to HCC policy, students have the responsibility of arranging payment for their classes, either through
cash, credit card, financial aid, or the installment plan. Students who are dropped from their courses for nonpayment of tuition and fees and request reinstatement after the official date of record can be reinstated by
making payment in full and paying an additional $75.00 per course reinstatement fee. The academic dean may
waive the reinstatement fee upon determining that the student was dropped because of a college error. Please
note that you’re not allowed to remain in this course if you are not officially registered in it, something your
instructor cannot override or change.
Inclement Weather
During inclement weather conditions, monitor major local channels for updates on school closings. You can also
check for school closings at www.school-closings.net I will also post alerts on the course Course Home
Page/Google site or the Eagle Online one when possible. Check these sites as needed.
Required Meningitis Vaccinations (2012)
Texas Senate Bill 1107 passed in May 2011, requires that new HCC students and former HCC students returning
after an absence of at least one fall or spring semester who are under the age of 30 are required to present a
physician-signed certificate showing they have been vaccinated against bacterial meningitis. Beginning with
Spring registration, November 7, students will have to satisfy this requirement prior to enrollment. For more
information and a list of exemptions please go to http://www.hccs.edu/hccs/admissions-registrationcenter/new-student-general-admissions-steps/submit-meningitis-documentation
General Information about Eagle Online (if used in your course)
Technical Issues: Note that you must use the Firefox browser for full compatibility with Eagle Online, and be
sure and allow pop-ups. You will also need Adobe Acrobat Reader. Note that it is the student’s responsibility to
have dependable Internet access, and HCC has on-site computer labs in all campuses.
Eagle Online User ID and Login: Your login user ID is your HCC User ID (also referred to as the “W” number).
The default password is the word “distance.” You will be asked to change your password after your first login.
Contact the Eagle Online Help Desk if you need help with your password; you can find the number can be found
on the login page. I’m always happy to help with any technical issues if I can, but HCC Technical Support is
your better resource. Call 713 718-2000 (then option 4/ option 2/ option 3). Or visit
http://smartipantz.perceptis.com/hccs or
http://bbcrm.edusupportcenter.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=8513 .
EGLS3 (Evaluation for Greater Learning Student Survey System)
At Houston Community College, professors believe that thoughtful student feedback is necessary to improve
teaching and learning. During a designated time near the end of the term, you will be asked to answer a short
online survey of research-based questions related to instruction. The anonymous results of the survey will be
made available to your professors and department chairs for continual improvement of instruction. Go to
www.hccs.edu/egls3 for more information.
Use of Cameras and Recording Devices
Use of recording devices, including camera phones and tape recorders, is prohibited in classrooms, laboratories,
faculty offices, and other locations where instruction, tutoring, or testing occurs. These devices are also not
allowed to be used in campus restrooms. Students with disabilities who need to use a recording device as a
reasonable accommodation should contact the Office for Students with Disabilities for information regarding
reasonable accommodations.
STUDENT SUPPPORT & RESOURCES
Special Conditions/Abilities Services Office
HCC policy states that any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision,
hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Ability Services Office at the
respective college at the beginning of each semester. Faculty members are authorized to provide only the
accommodations requested by the Ability Support Services Office. If you have any questions, please contact
Donna Price at 713-718-5165 or the Stafford/West Loop campus Abilities Counselor, Dr. Becky Hauri at 713718-7910. You can also visit the ADA Web site at http://www.hccs.edu/students/disability/index.htm.
That being said, I urge you to let me and the Support Services know if you have any special conditions
or needs that may affect your progress in this course or other courses.
ENGL 2343/Harrison 5
HCC Anti-Discrimination Statement: Houston Community College is committed to providing an
accessible and supportive environment for students with disabilities. HCC does not tolerate acts of disability
discrimination. It is the policy of HCC to provide academic adjustments and auxiliary aids and services to
students with disabilities. The Disability Support Service Office and/or Ability Service Office at each college of
the Houston Community College is responsible for arranging reasonable accommodations for all qualified
students with documented disabilities to ensure equal access to all programs and activities at HCC. Any student
that believes that he or she has been subjected to discrimination based on disability is encouraged to report the
discrimination immediately to the college’s Dean of Student Services or to the college’s relevant Instructional
Dean. *Students are encouraged to seek assistance from their ADA counselor for assistance through the
reporting process. To report disability discrimination, students can contact Betty G Fortune, Executive Dean
Instructional & Student Services 713/718-7743 , betty.fortune@hccs.edu.
Counseling
Both academic and personal counseling are available at HCC. Please call the following numbers for
more information: 713-718-7795 (Stafford) or 713-718-8921 (West Loop).
Student Organizations
Three organizations of interest to students taking English classes at Stafford and West Loop are Phi Theta
Kappa and the Gender Studies Club. Phi Theta Kappa is the honor society of two-year colleges. Students must
earn a 3.5 grade point average and accumulate 12 credit hours at HCCS. Transfer scholarships are offered
through this honors organization. Contacts are available at www.omegasigma.org.
The Gender Studies Club meets each month and online to discuss the roles of women and men in society
and to investigate how sexual differences and cultural constructions of gender may affect identity. The
organization promotes awareness of gender issues on campus & encourages research and discussion of gender
issues. Faculty advisors are Prof. Marie Dybala at marie.dybala@hccs.edu and Prof. Ileana Loubser at
ileana.loubser@hccs.ed
Other Student Organizations:
Bridge Mentoring Program
Broadcast Technology Student Association
Campus Crusade for Christ
Digital Arts Club
The Egalitarian Student Newspaper
Honors Program
Indian Student Association
Math Club
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Omega Sigma Chapter
Pakistan Student Association
Psychology Club
Fine Arts Student Association
Forensic Society
College Student Government Association
COURSE OBJECTIVES AND REQUIREMENTS:
By the end of the semester, the student who passes with a final grade of “C” or above will have demonstrated
the ability to:
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Complete and comprehend reading assignments. (Assignments vary in length, but a typical assignment
requires 2 hours out of class for each hour in class: e.g. 2 1/2 to 3 hours reading to prepare for a 1 1/2
hour class session).
Attend class regularly, missing no more than 12.5% (6 hours) of instruction.
Participate in small group and/or class discussions in which assigned literary works are analyzed and
interpreted.
Write at least 3,500 words in completing written assignments of varying types and lengths that are relevant
to course content. At least one written assignment will include information obtained through research that is
related to one or more prominent European or American literary works of the eras covered and is presented
in current MLA form.
Participate in at least one oral presentation of a literary work.
Explain and illustrate stylistic characteristics of authors and literary works included in the course syllabus.
Express clearly and support convincingly an interpretation or analysis of a literary text.
Explain similarities and differences among writers studied and/or among literary works studied.
ENGL 2343/Harrison 6
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Explain the characteristics of each literary period covered, with particular attention to prominent literary
themes.
Use a word processor (available in school labs) to fulfill written assignments and use the computer as well
as the library to research a literary topic.
Maintain an overall average of 70 or above on written assignments and tests.
HCCS Literature Courses in the Core Curriculum:
All HCCS 2300-level literature courses satisfy the core curriculum requirement for 3 semester hours of
literature. A second 2300-level literature course may be taken to fulfill the core curriculum requirement for 3
semester hours in Cross/Multicultural Studies. In 2300-level literature courses, the student will gain increased
capability in all six basic intellectual competencies in the HCCS Core Curriculum (reading, writing, speaking,
listening, critical thinking, and computer literacy). Student progress in the core competencies will be measured
in the activities outlined in the objectives and requirements section of this syllabus.
Perspectives in the HCCS Core Curriculum:
2300-level literature courses help students attain the following:
• Establish broad and multiple perspectives on the individual in relationship to the larger society and world in
which he or she lives and to understand the responsibilities of living in a culturally and ethnically diversified
world;
• Stimulate a capacity to discuss and reflect upon individual, political, economic, and social aspects of life in
order to understand ways in which to be a responsible member of society;
• Develop personal values for ethical behavior;
• Develop the ability to make aesthetic judgments; and
• Integrate knowledge and understanding of the interrelationships of the scholarly disciplines.
The objective of the humanities and visual and performing arts in a core curriculum is to expand
students’ knowledge of the human condition and human cultures especially in relation to behaviors, ideas, and
values expressed in works of human imagination and thought. Through study in disciplines such as literature
and the visual and performing arts, students will engage in critical analysis, form aesthetic judgments, and
develop an appreciation of the arts and humanities as fundamental to the health and survival of any society.
Students should have experiences in both the arts and humanities.
Exemplary Educational Objectives—Sophomore Literature (Literature Segment of the Humanities
and Visual and Performing Arts requirements of the HCCS Core Curriculum):
• To demonstrate awareness of the scope and variety of literary works;
• To understand those works as expressions of individual and human values within an historical and social
context;
• To respond critically to literary works;
• To articulate an informed personal reaction to literary works;
• To develop an appreciation for the aesthetic principles that guide or govern literature; and
• To demonstrate knowledge of the influence of literature on inter-cultural experiences.
The objective of the cross/multicultural component of the core curriculum is to introduce students to
areas of study which enlarge their knowledge and appreciation of the multicultural and multiracial world in
which they live.
Exemplary Educational Objectives—Sophomore Literature (Cross/Multicultural Studies Segment of
the HCCS Core Curriculum):
• To establish broad and multiple perspectives in the individual in relationship to the larger society and world
in which he or she lives and to understand the responsibilities of living in a culturally and ethnically
diversified world;
• To demonstrate knowledge of those elements and processes that create and define culture;
• To understand and analyze the origin and function of values, beliefs, and practices found in human
societies;
• To develop basic cross/multicultural understanding, empathy, and communication;
• To identify and understand underlying commonalities of diverse cultural practices; and
• To analyze the effects of cultural forces on the areas of study.
ENGL 2343 Student Learning Objectives
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Explain and illustrate stylistic characteristics of multicultural literature, including selections from fiction,
non-fiction, poetry, and drama, written by a diverse group of contemporary writers.
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Connect representative works of multicultural literature to human and individual values in historical and
social contexts.
ENGL 2343/Harrison 7
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Demonstrate knowledge of multiculturalism.
Analyze critical texts relating to works of multicultural literature.
Critique and interpret various works of multicultural literature.
SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS
Note that the course schedule will change depending on class progress. Please see the Course Home page
at https://sites.google.com/site/engl2343multiculturallit/ for the most recent ENGL 2342 Fall 2015
schedule of assignments.
Fall 2015/Important Dates
August 24
September 7
September 8
October 15
October 30
November 26-27
December 6
December 7-13
December 13
December 18
First Day of Classes
Labor Day Holiday
Day of Record
Deadline to Register for Fall Graduation
Last Day to Withdraw, 4:30 p.m.
Thanksgiving Holiday
Last Day of Classes
Final Exams (No Classes; Only Final Exams)
Semester Ends
Grades Available for Students Online
ENGL 2343/Harrison 8
ENGL 2343/Forms of Literature II (Multicultural Literature)
16-Week/Spring 2015/Thursday FTF Classes
Instructor: Dr. Lee Harrison, HCC Southwest English Faculty
Office: Stafford Learning Hub, 3rd Floor, Cubicle 3.18
E-mail: harrison.hcc.lit@gmail.com Checked daily; you’ll receive an automatic reply that I got your
mail. Note that this is a Gmail account, not HCC webmail.
Learning Web: http://learning.swc.hccs.edu/members/lee.harrison (not used, but has links to
Course Homepage)
Required Course Materials & Resources
Beaty & Hunter, New Worlds of Literature, 2nd Edition, Norton 1994. ISBN-10: 0-393-96354-3,
ISBN-13: 978-0-393-96354-0. This book is available in the HCC Bookstore and is also available
online at sites like Amazon ($25.00-60.00). You will need this book by Week 3, so be sure and
order it quickly is you need to order online.
An e-mail account for communicating with instructor/other students about course projects &
assignments, which you may want to connect to your phone so you won’t miss important
announcements. You have a free HCC student email; to activate it, go to the HCC homepage, then
“Students,” then “Student Email.” Click on the Help portion of the log-in page. The IT Help Desk at
713-718-7800 can assist you with email set-up and logging on to the HCC computers.
Reading the Schedule: Many course readings & assignments are on the Course Home Page (see
url above). HP indicates the Course Homepage and FTF means face-to-face, as in face-to-face-class.
Note that anything underlined below can be accessed through a link on the course home page.
Reading assignments indicated for the day are to be read by that day; online/writing
assignments are due at various times and days. Please alert me to any links that don’t work; if you
have difficulty, let me know and I’ll send links to you by email. After the first week of class, not
being able to find the Course Home Page or any other link (unless it is non-functional) cannot be
used as an excuse for not doing or submitting assignments.
Week 1 / Jan. 19-25
Thursday, 1/22: Brief course introduction; in-class writing. This day’s writing is ungraded and will
not be returned to you, but gives me a sense of your writing strengths & weaknesses--and helps me
plan the course.
You will have no online assignment this week or next, but online assignments will usually be due on
Tuesdays when you have them. For now, read ahead to next week’s assignments
Week 2 / Jan. 26-Feb. 1
Tuesday, 1/27: Assignment to come
Thursday, 1/29: Make sure you have done these readings for class today: Edgar Allan Poe, "The Tell-Tale
Heart" and Alice Walker, "Everyday Use". You can link to this course home page from the HCC Learning Web
as well.
Also read the following sections (all short) on the OWL Purdue page that helps with how to write about
literature/fiction: Literary Terms, Close Reading, Developing a Thesis and Reading a Novel or Story.
Read closely if this is new information, or more quickly if this is knowledge you already have. The links for
these are on the Course Home Page under “Other Course Readings.”
ENGL 2343/Harrison 9
Week 3 / Feb. 2-7
Tuesday, 2/3: Go to our ENGL 2343 Discussions on the course home page (look to the left sidebar), read the
instructions and then post your assignment there.
Thursday, 2/5: Read Margaret Atwood, "Happy Endings" and Donald Barthelme, "Some of Us Have Been
Threatening Our Friend Colby" (both under Readings/Short Stories on our course home page)—and note how
different these are from the first two short stories we read last week.
Week 4 / Feb. 9-15
Tuesday, 2/10: Reading: see list. Go to our ENGL 2343 Discussions on the course home page (look to the
left sidebar), read the instructions and then post your assignment there.
Thursday, 2/12: Read Maya Angelou, "Africa" and "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"; read also James
Baldwin, "Sonny's Blues" (Short Stories) and Brent Staples, "Just Walk On By" (Non-Fiction).
Week 5 / Feb. 16-22
Tuesday, 2/17: See reading list. Go to our ENGL 2343 Discussions on the course home page (look to the left
sidebar), read the instructions and then post your assignment there.
Thursday, 2/19: See reading list. Give some serious thought to a possible individual assignment (our 20%
category) you want to work on this semester. We'll work together to fill in possibilities but for now start
thinking of what might interest you. Some ideas that have been proposed: a persona/reflective/analytical
reading journal (your choice of approach, possibly mixed), a personal memoir or essay, creative writing like
poetry or short story, cross-genre or cross-media work (connecting literature with music, film, art, or some
other discipline or field), developing a blog (literary/creative, reflective, multi-media or multi-genre, and so on),
a literary analysis essay, bibliographic essay on one of our writers, a bibliographic essay on one of our genres.
These are just some possibilities--consider what might interest you.
Week 6 / Feb. 23-29
Tuesday, 2/23: See reading list. Go to our ENGL 2343 Discussions on the course home page (look to the left
sidebar), read the instructions and then post your assignment there.
Thursday, 2/26: I'll only add a few readings for today since I want you to return to those you discussed in
small group and refresh your memory on these, as well as what directions you went into those discussions (and
any conclusions, of course). I'll ask you to informally report on these in class this day. New readings: Lucille
Clifton, "Homage to My Hips" (short poem); Tracy Chapman, "Fast Car" (song; Listen on YouTube). Read
Critical Approaches/Literary Theory I and see if you can apply any of these to your readings from a few weeks
ago (see below) or to today's readings.
Return to: Maya Angelou, "Africa" and "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"; read also James Baldwin, "Sonny's
Blues" (Short Stories) and Brent Staples, "Just Walk On By" (Non-Fiction).
Week 7 / March 1-8
Thursday, 3/5: Raymond Carver, "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love" (Listen to Carver reading
the short story if you want); Dorothy Parker, "A Telephone Call". Optional: If you're interested, you can read
an unedited draft of Carver's "What We Talk About..." called "Beginnings"--some interesting differences.
Week 8 / March 9-14
ENGL 2343/Harrison 10
Tuesday, 3/10: See the Midterm Exam Question Assignment and send your questions to me by email
(harrison.hcc.lit@gmail.com), preferably as a Microsoft Word attachment. If at all possible, try to do this
assignment before Spring Break. A portion of your exam (10-15 points) will go to writing good questions that I
will include in the exam.
Thursday, 3/12:Readings to come
Spring Break / March 15-22
Enjoy your break!
Week 9 / March 23-29
Tuesday, 3/24: See the Midterm Exam Question Assignment, and formulate questions for our upcoming
exam. Email your questions to harrison.hcc.lit@gmail.com, preferably as a Microsoft Word attachment.
Thursday, 3/26:Short story readings for today: Shirley Jackson, "The Lottery"; Ursula Le Guin, "The Ones
Who Walk Away From Omelas"; Octavia E. Butler, "Speech Sounds." Since I haven't yet received enough exam
questions from everyone, we'll delay formulating the Midterm Exam Study Guide until next week--see the
Online Assignment 3 above which really needs to be done this week sometime so I can put together the study
guide.
Week 10 / March 30-April 5 / Midterm Exam Questions Due (Tuesday)
***Tuesday, 3/30: This is your last possible day to get in your
Midterm Exam Question Assignment because I need to construct the Study Guide for Thursday.
Thursday, 4/2:Today we'll formulate Midterm Exam Study Guide in preparations for your Midterm Exam next
week.
Week 11 / April 6-12 / Midterm Exam
Tuesday, 4/7: Assignment to come.
***Thursday, 4/9:In-class writing of your Midterm Exam. We'll know more about what you should bring
as we get closer.
ENGL 2343/Forms of Literature II (Multicultural Literature)
16-Week/Spring 2015/Thursday FTF Classes
Instructor: Dr. Lee Harrison, HCC Southwest English Faculty
Office: Stafford Learning Hub, 3rd Floor, Cubicle 3.18
E-mail: harrison.hcc.lit@gmail.com Checked daily; you’ll receive an automatic reply that I got your
mail. Note that this is a Gmail account, not HCC webmail.
Learning Web: http://learning.swc.hccs.edu/members/lee.harrison (not used, but has links to
Course Homepage)
Note: This is a hybrid composition course, which means the class will meet as a face-to-face group
only one day per week and that many assignments and discussions will take place online through
our Google Course Homepage. Attendance/participation in class and online are equally important
and missing online assignments means you are absent for those days online assignments are due.
Required Course Materials & Resources
ENGL 2343/Harrison 11
Beaty & Hunter, New Worlds of Literature, 2nd Edition, Norton 1994. ISBN-10: 0-393-96354-3,
ISBN-13: 978-0-393-96354-0. This book is available in the HCC Bookstore and is also available
online at sites like Amazon ($25.00-60.00). You will need this book by Week 3, so be sure and
order it quickly is you need to order online.
An e-mail account for communicating with instructor/other students about course projects &
assignments, which you may want to connect to your phone so you won’t miss important
announcements. You have a free HCC student email; to activate it, go to the HCC homepage, then
“Students,” then “Student Email.” Click on the Help portion of the log-in page. The IT Help Desk at
713-718-7800 can assist you with email set-up and logging on to the HCC computers.
Reading the Schedule: Many course readings & assignments are on the Course Home Page (see
url above). HP indicates the Course Homepage and FTF means face-to-face, as in face-to-face-class.
Note that anything underlined below can be accessed through a link on the course home page.
Reading assignments indicated for the day are to be read by that day; online/writing
assignments are due at various times and days. Please alert me to any links that don’t work; if you
have difficulty, let me know and I’ll send links to you by email. After the first week of class, not
being able to find the Course Home Page or any other link (unless it is non-functional) cannot be
used as an excuse for not doing or submitting assignments.
Week 1 / Jan. 19-25
Thursday, 1/22, FTF (Face-to-face) class: Brief course introduction; in-class writing. This day’s
writing is ungraded and will not be returned to you, but gives me a sense of your writing strengths &
weaknesses--and helps me plan the course.
You will have no online assignment this week or next, but online assignments will usually be due on
Tuesdays when you have them. For now, read ahead to next week’s assignments
Week 2 / Jan. 26-Feb. 1
Thursday, 1/29, FTF (Face-to-face) class: Make sure you have done these readings for class today: Edgar
Allan Poe, "The Tell-Tale Heart" and Alice Walker, "Everyday Use". You can link to this course home page
from the HCC Learning Web as well.
Also read the following sections (all short) on the OWL Purdue page that helps with how to write about
literature/fiction: Literary Terms, Close Reading, Developing a Thesis and Reading a Novel or Story.
Read closely if this is new information, or more quickly if this is knowledge you already have. The links for
these are on the Course Home Page under “Other Course Readings.”
Week 3 / Feb. 2-7
Tuesday, 2/3, Online Assignment 1 (by midnight): Go to our ENGL 2343 Discussions on the course home
page (look to the left sidebar), read the instructions and then post your assignment there.
Thursday, 2/5, FTF (Face-to-face) class: Read Margaret Atwood, "Happy Endings" and Donald Barthelme,
"Some of Us Have Been Threatening Our Friend Colby" (both under Readings/Short Stories on our course home
page)—and note how different these are from the first two short stories we read last week.
Week 4 / Feb. 9-15
Tuesday, 2/10, Online Assignment 2 (by midnight): Go to our ENGL 2343 Discussions on the course home
page (look to the left sidebar), read the instructions and then post your assignment there.
ENGL 2343/Harrison 12
Thursday, 2/12, FTF (Face-to-face) class: Read Maya Angelou, "Africa" and "I Know Why the Caged Bird
Sings"; read also James Baldwin, "Sonny's Blues" (Short Stories) and Brent Staples, "Just Walk On By"
(Non-Fiction).
Week 5 / Feb. 16-22
Tuesday, 2/17, Online Assignment 3 (by midnight): Go to our ENGL 2343 Discussions on the course home
page (look to the left sidebar), read the instructions and then post your assignment there.
Thursday, 2/19, FTF (Face-to-face) class: Readings to come. Give some serious thought to a possible
individual assignment (our 20% category) you want to work on this semester. We'll work together
to fill in possibilities but for now start thinking of what might interest you. Some ideas that have
been proposed: a persona/reflective/analytical reading journal (your choice of approach, possibly
mixed), a personal memoir or essay, creative writing like poetry or short story, cross-genre or crossmedia work (connecting literature with music, film, art, or some other discipline or field), developing
a blog (literary/creative, reflective, multi-media or multi-genre, and so on), a literary analysis essay,
bibliographic essay on one of our writers, a bibliographic essay on one of our genres. These are just
some possibilities--considerwhat might interest you.
Week 6 / Feb. 23-29
There is no online assignment this week. If you have not done the first ones, please do so. See
ENGL 2343 Discussions.
Thursday, 2/26, FTF class: I'll only add a few readings for today since I want you to return to those you
discussed in small group and refresh your memory on these, as well as what directions you went into those
discussions (and any conclusions, of course). I'll ask you to informally report on these in class this
day. New readings: Lucille Clifton, "Homage to My Hips" (short poem); Tracy Chapman, "Fast
Car" (song; Listen on YouTube). Read Critical Approaches/Literary Theory I and see if you can
apply any of these to your readings from a few weeks ago (see below) or to today's readings.
Return to: Maya Angelou, "Africa" and "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"; read also James Baldwin, "Sonny's
Blues" (Short Stories) and Brent Staples, "Just Walk On By" (Non-Fiction).
Week 7 / March 1-8
Tuesday, 3/3, Online Assignment 4 (by midnight): Go to our ENGL 2343 Discussions on the course home
page (look to the left sidebar), read the instructions and then post your assignment there.
Thursday, 3/5, FTF class: Raymond Carver, "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love"
(Listen to Carver reading the short story if you want); Dorothy Parker, "A Telephone Call". Optional:
If you're interested, you can read an unedited draft of Carver's "What We Talk About..." called
"Beginnings"--some interesting differences.
Week 8 / March 9-14
Tuesday, 3/10, Online Assignment 5: See the Midterm Exam Question Assignment and send your questions
to me by email (harrison.hcc.lit@gmail.com), preferably as a Microsoft Word attachment. If at all possible, try
to do this assignment before Spring Break. A portion of your exam (10-15 points) will go to writing good
questions that I will include in the exam.
Thursday, 3/12, FTF class: Today is an "open mike" of sorts for reading poems or other literature
or listening to songs that have to do with Love in any form—and any cultural variations you might
see in this concept. Let me know ahead of time if you need me to copy anything, etc.
ENGL 2343/Harrison 13
Spring Break / March 15-22
Enjoy your break!
Week 9 / March 23-29
Tuesday, 3/24, Online Assignment 6: See the Midterm Exam Question Assignment, and formulate questions
for our upcoming exam. Email your questions to harrison.hcc.lit@gmail.com, preferably as a Microsoft Word
attachment.
Thursday, 3/26, FTF class: Short story readings for today: Shirley Jackson, "The Lottery"; Ursula
Le Guin, "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas"; Octavia E. Butler, "Speech Sounds." Since I
haven't yet received enough exam questions from everyone, we'll delay formulating the Midterm
Exam Study Guide until next week--see the Online Assignment 3 above which really needs to be
done this week sometime so I can put together the study guide.
Week 10 / March 30-April 5 / Exam Questions Due (Tuesday)
***Tuesday, 3/30: No online assignment, but this is your last possible day to get in your
Midterm Exam Question Assignment because I need to construct the Study Guide for Thursday.
Thursday, 4/2, FTF class: Today we'll formulate Exam Study Guide in preparations for your
Midterm Exam next week.
Week 11 / April 6-12 / Midterm Exam
Tuesday, 4/7: Assignment to come.
***Thursday, 4/9, FTF class: In-class writing of your Midterm Exam. We'll know more about
what you should bring as we get closer.
Week 12 / April 13-19
Tuesday, 4/14: Assignment to come.
Thursday, 4/16, FTF class: Read Amy Tan, "Two Kinds" (if you have trouble, here's another link
to "Two Kinds"); Timothy D. Prott, "Fitting In"
Week 13 / April 20-26
Tuesday, 4/21: Assignment to come.
Thursday, 4/23, FTF class: Read Jamaica Kincaid, "Girl"; Rick Moody, "Boys"; read over the
Individual Assignment Guidelines.
Week 14 / April 27-May 3
Tuesday, 4/28: This week, please send me a paragraph by email (harrison.hcc.lit@gmail.com) discussing
what you plan to do for your individual project, why you chose that direction, what you hope to achieve, and so
on. Nothing too elaborate or formal. Note that this is essentially the start of that part of your individual
assignment (the Meta-Writing) that asks you to discuss your assignment, the process, and so on.
Thursday, 4/30, FTF class: Read the following student-proposedpoems Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales, “I
Am Joaquin” Emma Lazarus, "The New Colossus", and William Blake, "The Fly".
ENGL 2343/Harrison 14
Week 15 / May 4-10 / Last Class Day / Early Turn-In for Individual Assignment
Tuesday, 5/5: Assignment to come.
Thursday, 5/7, FTF class: Possible readings to come, but nothing too long. Today may be the last
day of class for some of you, since you can turn in your individual assignment today (and present it, if
you want--but optional). If you are still working on that assignment, you can turn it in instead next week (see below).
Week 16 / May 11-17 / Final Exam Week / Individual Assignment Due
We will not have a final exam, but your individual project is due on Thursday, 5/14, if you did not
turn it in last week. I be in our classroom from 12-2pm instead of 12:30-2:00pm. Those of you who
would like to present any creative work or an individual assignment are free to do so, but this is not
required. If for any reason the there is a room conflict, look for a sign on the door--I will have
moved us elsewhere.