Los Angeles Mission College/Spring 2009 English 102: College Reading and Composition 2 Instructor: Gina Ladinsky Phone: 818-364-7698 Email: ladinsg@lamission.edu Website: http://www.lamission.edu/~ladinsg Office Hours: M 12:30-1:45; Tu 2-3:30; W 12:30-3:15 Location: Bung. A Course Objectives: Welcome to English 102. As you enter the world of literature, prepare to travel to new places and to different time periods simply by opening a book. The cost of each adventure is the time it takes to become an engaged reader with the ability to incorporate your very own imagination into analytical thought. You will meet many different characters. Some will trick you. Some are insane. Others are trapped by cultures that have followed them across oceans and time. English 102 will guide you through the process of analysis of short fiction, long fiction, poetry, and drama by critical reading and in-depth critical thinking. The skills you develop will empower you to develop critical theories about literary interpretations that you will develop into argumentative prose-an analytical essay-that supports your analysis. By the end of the course, you will be able to write effective essays that express a specific, interesting, and original analysis. Required Texts: A Little Literature by Sylvan Barnet, William Burto, and William Cain. The Pocket Guide to Critical Thinking by Richard Epstien. 3rd Ed. Required Novel: Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez If you cannot afford to buy the books, they are on reserve for you in the library. You will be expected to make copies of the section of the text we are covering for the day and have the copy with you at each class meeting. Required Supplies for each class meeting: Lined notebook paper Pens with blue or black ink Scantron cards (882-E) Required for in-class exams: Two or Three large blue-books Student Learning Outcomes: At the end of the course, the student will be able to produce a three to five page essay demonstrating the ability to use literary analysis. Further, the student will be able to compare and contrast two literary works as well as produce an analytical research paper on a literary work. Evaluation and Grading: 1. Attendance and preparation are mandatory. Class participation is a necessary aspect of this course and will ultimately influence your success in the class, so it is necessary for you to have excellent attendance. Further it is necessary for you to keep up with the in-class and out-of-class assignments, which will not be possible if you are absent. You are allowed up to three hours of un-excused absences. As stated in the LAMC catalog, “Whenever absences “in hours” exceeds the number of hours the class meets per week, the student may be excluded by the instructor” (43). If we are past the drop deadline, you will receive a lower letter grade for the course, depending on the number of absences. If you have 1 emergencies or special circumstances, please contact me. Excused absences will require documentation. If you are unsure as to what constitutes documentation, come see me for clarification. Work and doctor’s appointments will not qualify as an excused absence. If you find you are unable to attend the course, it is the responsibility of the student to complete the paperwork to drop the course in a timely manner. If your name appears on the final grade roster, I will have to issue a grade. → Note: Each three hour class meeting covers one entire week of material. In order to have a successful outcome in this course, excellent attendance is required. Tardiness: Coming late disrupts the class and causes me to have to repeat information already given to the rest of the class. Three late arrivals will count as an absence, so do your best to be on time. Also, leaving class early will have the same effect- three = one absence. 2. Essays: You will submit three essays of four-to-five pages - one will include research. One will be on fiction, one will be on poetry and one will be on drama. Out-of-class papers must be typed, doublespaced and follow MLA guidelines. In addition to a hard copy, you will be required to upload out-of-class papers to Turnitin.com for a plagiarism check. It is easy to do and specific instructions are posted on my website. Students will not receive a grade unless their paper has been uploaded. Come see me if you need help. A Peer review session and teacher conference may be required for out-of-class papers. It is necessary to be present for peer review to earn the points for the review. No late papers will be accepted without documentation. Essays are collected at the beginning of class. 3. Exams: You will write three essay exams in class. One will be on short fiction, one will be on poetry, and one will be on the novel. The exams will be based on class discussions and on the reading material for the course. You will need a large blue book (8.5 x 11") for each exam. Neither late papers will be accepted, nor will make-up exams be given without documentation. 4. Reading Responses: In addition to formal essays, you will be assigned response questions and reading logs throughout the semester. Some will be written in class; most will be written as homework. These assignments ask you to focus on a particular passage in a work or to address a critical question specific to the reading. Homework Collection: Homework will be collected in packets on the listed on the calendar. You will be required to keep your homework, clearly labeled, in chronological order until it is handed in for a grade. Late homework packets will not be accepted with ONE exception: You will be given one No Questions Asked (NQA) coupon. To use the coupon simply attach it to the homework packet, sign it, and hand it in at the very next class meeting - no questions asked. The stipulation of using this coupon is that it can only be used for homework, not for writing assignments such as essays, and the work must arrive at the next class meeting. If you have an extended absence, please contact me. Our Class is a Leaning Community: Students who arrive with homework are placed in groups to collaborate on the best possible responses to the readings. Each group then presents its findings to the class. A large class discussion follows. If you have not done the homework, you will not be placed in a group, but you are welcome to join the discussion. 5. Class work: Quizzes may occur in response to any reading assignment or class discussion. They will 2 be unannounced and may require a scantron card, so keep an ample supply (882-E) along with number two pencils. In-class attendance is required for quizzes. I conduct the class using a variety of methods to include: lecture, in-class writing and collaborative/workshop activities. You will be required to participate in class discussions as well as be an active member of small group discussions. Missed tests, quizzes, or in-class papers (exams) cannot be made up without documentation. 6. Grading: Please keep all returned papers and all returned written assignments. In the unlikely case that you feel you handed in an assignment that the instructor did not record, you must have the graded work in your possession for evidence. Make a copy of all papers prior to handing them in. Keep them in a safe place. Your grade will be based on the following: Quizzes, Reading Responses, Homework 15% Out of class essays (3 at 10% each) 30 % Exams (2 at 15% each) 30% Final Exam 25% Essay Grading: A: A's are for superior work, for writing that is often original and well-expressed. Students who expect to receive A's always come to class, they participate in class discussion, they keep up with the reading and have obviously asked questions of it and thought about it on their own. Students who do A work show intellectual curiosity and initiative. A writing is intellectually engaging and well-reasoned, well-supported and fluent, revealing complexity of thought, insight and originality. It is generally free of mechanical errors. It follows MLA format. B: B's are for good to very good work. Generally, students earn B's by being prepared for class and by participating in class discussion. Writing tends to be less consistently analytic; it doesn't engage the issues of the work as thoroughly as A papers do. Although it is generally free of mechanical errors, B writing lacks the complexity of thought, support, and fluency that A papers demonstrate. C: C's are for average university-level work. Students earn C's by completing all the requirements of the course: that is, they accomplish the reading, and they turn in competently written assignments. They participate in class discussion. C writing shows thinking that is developing skill in engaging with the literature but, in comparison to A and B writing, is probably less insightful or original. Avoiding critical analysis, it may sometimes lapse into plot summary. Writing may be clouded by surface errors or occasional unsupported generalizations, while it shows thoughtfulness and general university level skill and fluency. Final Semester Grades will be broken down as follows: A 100-90% B C D F 89-80% 79-70% 69-60% 59-50% Attendance: Will not assure a student a passing grade. Extra-Credit: There is none. However, you can earn “Waves” by participating in class discussions. Two 3 “Waves” equal one quiz, reading response, homework point. You are responsible to keep your “Waves” and to hand them in during the 15th week. Plagiarism: Any form of plagiarism, which is the use of someone else’s words that you count as your own, is an offense punishable by failure of this course. Further, any form of plagiarism is considered academic dishonesty that may result in disciplinary action. My Website: You may be asked to access my website for writing assignments, including reading response questions, class handouts, class announcements, and papers. The class syllabus is posted on my website as well. My website can be found at www.lamission.edu/~ladinsg. Electronic submissions of assignments, including papers will not be accepted. For each out-of-class paper, you will hand in a hard copy in class and upload a copy to Turnitin for a plagiarism check. Turn off all electronic devices before class begins and remove iPod earphones. If I observe you texting during class, I will give one warning and the second time I will mark you absent. Note: If you do not write all papers and exams assigned for the semester, you will not pass the course in that the objectives set forth by the English Department must be met. Note: You are responsible for the information on this syllabus. Note: I reserve the right to make changes to this syllabus.☺ Class Calendar Reading assignments are due on the dates listed below. The readings refer to A Little Literature unless noted. Stories, poems, and plays in each chapter are considered part of the reading assignment. The class schedule is subject to change. 4 5 T Feb. 10 Syllabus Review Introduction to literary analysis Introduction to argument T Feb 17 Chapter 1 - Writing Arguments about Literature: A Crash Course in Critical Thinking and Writing - p1-17 Chapter 1 -Writing Arguments about Literature: A Crash Course in Critical Thinking and Writing -p18-22; 25-32 Emily Wu, “The Lesson of the Master” p 18 -19 Tobias Wolf, “Powder” - p 19 -23 T Feb. 24 Chapter 3 - Approaching Fiction: Responding in Writing - p 77-89 Ernst Hemingway, “Cat in the Rain” p 77 - 80 The Pocket Guide to Critical Thinking 1 Claims p 2 - 7 Chapter 4 - Stories and Meanings: Plot, Character, Theme - p 90-111 Anton Chekhov, “Misery” p 94-98 Alice Walker, “Everyday Use” p 103 - 111 T Mar. 3 Gish Jen - “Who’s Irish” - p 239 - 248 Flannery O’Conner - “A Good Man is Hard to Find” -182-195 The Pocket Guide to Critical Thinking - 6 - Writing Good Arguments p 126 -127 The Pocket Guide to Critical Thinking - 4.5 - Cause and Effect p 86 - 96 Paper 1 Assigned: Fiction Paper Chapter 7 In Brief: Writing Arguments about Fiction p 164 - 168 The Pocket Guide to Critical Thinking 2 - Arguments p 12 -37 6 Fri Mar.6 LAST DAY TO DROP WITHOUT RECEIVING A “W” T Mar. 10 Chapter 5: Narrative Point of View - p - 112-116 John Updike, “A&P” 117 - 122 William Faulkner - “A Rose for Emily” - p 289-301 Chapter 6: Allegory and Symbolism - p- 132 -135 Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Young Goodman Brown” p - 136 - 146 John Steinbeck, “The Chrysanthemums” p - 147 - 156 Paper 1 Due T Mar. 17 Exam 1- Blue Book Required - Chapters 5 and 6 Reading Responses Fiction Due Chapter 11 - Approaching Poetry: Responding in Writing - p 385-398 Chapter 2 - Writing about Literature: From Idea to Essay - p 33-35; 55-62 T Mar. 24 Chapter 14 - The Speaking Tone of Voice - p 422-425 Gwendolyn Brooks, “The Mother” p - 425 - 426 Stevie Smith, “Not Waving but Drowning”p - 427 Wislawa Szymborska, “The Terrorist, He Watches” p - 428 John Updike, “Icarus” p -429 - 430 Chapter 14 - The Speaking Tone of Voice - Cont. Robert Browning, “My Last Duchess - 431- 433 Thomas Hardy, “The Man He Killed” p - 436 Countee Cullen, “For a Lady I Know” p - 437 Marge Piercy, “Barbie Doll” p - 439 -440 Chapter 19 - In Brief: Writing Arguments about Poetry 509-521 Paper 2 Assigned - Poetry Paper T Mar 31 School Holiday – Cesar Chavez Apr. 6- 12 Spring Recess T Apr. 14 Peer Review and Conferences Paper 2. Bring two typed copies of Paper 1 to class Chapter 15 - Figurative Language: Simile, Metaphor, Personification, Apostrophe- p 441446; 448;449 - 451 Richard Wilbur, “A Smilie for Her Smile” p - 445 Edmund Waller, “Song” p - 450 T Apr 21 Chapter 16 – Imagery and Symbolism – p 456-439 Walt Whitman, “I Saw in Louisiana a Live Oak Growing p – 458 Claude McKay, “The Tropics of New York” p 464 Adrienne Rich, “Diving into the Wreck” p – 465-462 Poetry Paper Due Chapter 20 – American Voices: Poems for a Diverse Nation – p 523-526; 531-532 7 Mitsuye Yamada, “To the Lady” – p 523 Yusef Komunyahaa, “Facing It” – p 525 Sherman Alexie, “On the Amtrak from Boston to New York City” – p 531 T Apr 28 Exam 2 Poetry: Chapter 15, 16, and 20 – Large Blue Book Required Reading Responses Poetry Due Chapter 24 – How to Read a Play 617 - 630 Susan Glaspell, “Trifles” – p 630 - 642 T May 5 Chapter 27 – A Play about Marriage – p 884 Henrik Ibsen, “A Doll’s House” – p 884 - 946 Fri May 8 Last Day to Drop with a “W” T May 12 Chapter 26 – American Voices: Drama for a Nation – p 811 Luis Valdez, “Los Vendidos” – p 811 - 821 Chapter 25- In Brief- Writing Arguments about Drama 700-718 Paper 3 Assigned - Drama T May 19 Love in the Time of Cholera Peer Review and Conferences Paper 4 - Bring Two Typed Drafts Tu May 26 Love in the Time of Cholera Love in the Time of Cholera Paper 3 Due Reading Responses Drama Due T June 2 Final Exam - Love in the Time of Cholera 10-12 - Large Blue Book Required 8