NORTH ARKANSAS COLLEGE
English Composition 1023
Sandra J. Keele M. Ed. N.D.
Catalog Course Description
Instruction continues to emphasize developing students’ writing skills but
also introduces the literary genres: prose fiction, drama, and poetry.
Students prepare and write a research paper dealing with a literary work.
Pre-requisite for the Course
Students are placed in this course if they have completed English 1013 or
1113 with a “C” or higher. An honors section is also available.
Textbook
Kirszner, Laurie G & Stephen R Mandell. Portable Literature: Reading,
Reacting, Writing. 7th ed. United States: Wadsworth Cengage
Learning, 2011.
Course Objective
English 1023 is intended to help the student:
 Develop a focused essay using a clear central idea and thesis
 Develop abilities to write unified, complete paragraphs
 Develop abilities to write grammatically correct sentences
 Write logical, coherent essays that express ideas
 Relate the elements of the literary genres to specific stories, plays, or
poems
 Read assignments and demonstrate knowledge and comprehension of
the reading material through class participation, tests, and writing
 Select and limit topics for composition
 Formulate and state the point of each written composition
 Maintain unity and coherence on written assignments
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Write about assigned readings, using literary terminology
Recognize and practice effective sentence structure
Punctuate effectively
Write effective sentences that reflect an awareness of the power of
words
 Revise consciously, effectively, and thoroughly.
Course Requirements
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5 essays with well developed paragraphs; be sure to number essays (5)
Notebook writing assignments: Due at the end of each unit
Some in-class activities which can not be made up
3 unit tests: short story, poetry, drama
Research paper on literary works
Literary works presentation.
Read a novel: The Shack by William P. Young
Essays
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Doubled spaced
Use 3 quotes per body paragraph (minimum)
Work Cited page
Must be titled
MLA format
Header in upper left hand corner: name, class, instructor, date
Late papers only extend to the following week, which will be
dropped one letter grade
 Each valued at 100 points.
Notebooks
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Due at the end of each unit
100 points each due date (300 total)
Must use the enclosed form
Must be complete before receiving a grade
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 Exposition: Main characters, setting, background information
Rising actions: Major actions which move the story to the climax
w/explanation
 Falling actions: major actions after the climax and moves the story
toward the resolution
 Plot with plot line graph
 Theme: overall central or main idea
 Crisis/climax: Point at which the character changes and/or there is a
conflict resolution
 Denouement/conclusion
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Point of view: First person, third person limited, third person
omniscient, or dramatic
Conflict: Identify as internal, external, and/or the opposing factions
w/explanation.
Title: give significant information about the title; where is it located
Author: add any insights that gives the reader something meaningful
about the author, especially the time period and effects on the writing
Speaker: who is talking about the poem; is it 1st, 2nd , or 3rd person
Meaning: what is the author trying to relate
Setting/situation: where, how when, background
Form/development: lines, stanza, rhyme scheme
Subject/theme: what is the overall subject matter
Personal: Info about your reaction to the poem
Explication: complete, detailed analysis of a poem. Line by line and
word by word
**When turned in for evaluation, the notebook must contain the literary
terms.
This does not mean a page of written definitions!!! Use the terms within the
notebook!
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Major Exams
100 points for each test at the end of each unit: short story, poetry, drama.
These are required grades and can not be made up without special
permission.
Research paper
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300 points total
8-10 pages, including title page, outline, body, Works Cited page
MLA format
Topic outline
10 sources
Works Cited (1--2 pages only if possible)
Literary works usually covers a novel
Use 1 inch margins, font no larger than 12
Literary Works presentation
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100 points possible
Must be a minimum of 10 minutes
Must have a visual aid
If music, must present tape or CD, DVD, poem, short story, editorial
Power point counts as visual aid
Presentation counts 50% / knowledge of content 50%
Please dress appropriately for the occasion (you might consider the
time period of the literary works).
NO LATE PAPERS PAST A WEEK!!! I sometimes allow ample time; if
used wisely in class, you may begin or complete an assignment.
No food!
No drink!!
No children!
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No phones!!!!
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
If you feel you may require accommodations based on the impact of a
disability, please meet with the instructor privately to discuss needs. In
addition, please contact a disability coordinator to establish eligibility and
coordinate reasonable accommodations. For more information, contact Kim
Brecklein, Room M188, 391-3338 (voice), 391-3111 (tdd);
kbrecklein@northark; check for correct numbers on the web page.
How To Reach The Instructor:
The e-mail addresses are at the beginning of the syllabus; the gobs address is
the one I use the most often. The college address is the one I check 2-3 times
per week; be sure your computer is compatible to NAC’s Window version;
many students have difficulty beginning an essay and coming to NAC to
print the document. If you send me an essay, it can go to either address; it’s
more efficient to go through the college address because of the school’s
filter. Be sure to send in a timely manner. The following is a set of numbers
you can reach me at home and at the office:
HJHS Office: 741-0568
Message phone: 743-9115
Be sure to leave a phone number if I need to return your call—check the
time so I know the hour you called. Some call me on a night right before
class, and I’m already at college, so I do not get the message until after class.
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Notebook Entry Form Examples
English Composition 1023
Short Story Notebook Entry
Title: How does it relate to the story? Is the title mentioned in the story?
Where? What is the significance of the title?
Author: Give additional information, but be succinct (ex. Maupassant was
a 19th century French naturalist writer who was influenced by
Flaubert. Most stories centered around the Franco-Prussian War).
Exposition: This is the narrative structure or the laying out of the story,
the unfolding.
Characters: Name each in the story and describe
Protagonist: main character
Antagonist: opponent of the protagonist
Foil: minor, highlight major character
Flat: minor but useful, static and unchanging
Round: profits from experience and changes
Stereotype: ordinary, unoriginal, cast in a mold
Stock: flat with standard traits (bored hotel clerk).
(main characters only)
Setting: The background of places, objects, and culture in the story;
the natural, manufactured, and cultural environment in
which the characters live and move.
Purpose: to establish verisimilitude
3 types: Public and private places
Outdoor places
Cultural and historical circumstances
Point of View: The position from which the reader is presented the story;
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Dramatic/Objective: 3rd person narration, excludes
commentary of the actions of the characters.
First Person: The use of “I”
Third person limited: Speaker is not part of the story,
(she, he, it, they, them).
Third person omniscient: Speaker has no limitations,
may describe intentions, actions, and innermost
thoughts.
Rising Action: The action(s) before the climax, (with an explanation).
Conflict: Opposition between two characters, large groups of people,
protagonists and other forces, a struggle that grows from
opposing forces.
Internal: struggle from within, psychological
External: struggle with outside forces or others
*Always have a conflict, otherwise there is no plot.
Crisis: The point of uncertainty, the turning point, results from the
conflict, the crisis leads to the climax.
Climax: The point of highest interest, the emotional point, the turning
point in the action, the tension preceding the resolution or
denouement, the climax can merge with the crisis.
Denouement: The final stage of the plot, the untying, mystery explained,
character finds his/her destiny, conflicts are ended, usually done
very speedily.
Plot: Involves a conflict and carries the main thrust of the story.
Theme: The overall main or central idea, sometimes the moral of the story.
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English Composition 1023
Literary Terms for Short Story
Allegory: fable, parable
Allusion
Atmosphere
Character: antagonist, protagonist, foil, flat, round, stereotype, stock
Climax
Conflict:
external, internal
Connotation
Denotation
Denouement
Exposition
Fiction
Flashback
Irony: dramatic irony, situational irony, verbal irony, double entendre
Literature
Metaphor
Myth
Narration
Persona
Plot
Point of View: dramatic or objective, 1st person, 3rd person limited,
3rd person omniscient
Structure of the short story: exposition, complication/rising action, crisis,
Climax, falling action, resolution/denouement
Symbolism
Theme
Tone
Verisimilitude
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Poetry Notebook Entry
Author:
Name only
Title:
The basic title of the poem
Speaker:
Who is giving the information—are they inside or outside?
Setting/Situation: What is significant to the poem to paint the picture?
Form/Development: How many stanzas
What is the rhyme scheme?
Is there repetition of words? Why?
Theme:
What is the overall subject?
What is the moral of the story?
What does the author what you to learn?
Personal:
How did the poem affect you? Like or dislike and why
(Must be more than a simple sentence). Paragraph will do nicely.
 Make it count, or you could lose the entire poetry entry!!!
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Literary Terms for Poetry Unit
Stanza
Slang
Explication
Formal
Simile
Prosody
Alliteration
Denotation
Elegy
Epigram
Old English period
Free verse
Informal
Satire
Iamb
Pyrrhic
Villanelle
onomatopoeia
idioms
Middle Romantic period
imagery
metaphor
tone
anaphora
imperfect foot
tercet
ballad
limerick
myth
Middle English
connotation
rhythm
trochee
dactyl
understatement
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poetry
jargon
formal
paraphrasing
paradox
assonance
iambic pentameter
lyric
haiku
symbolism
rhyme scheme
neutral
personification
ode
spondee
anapest
overstatement
Drama Notebook Entry
Title:
List the title of the play
Author:
List the author of the play
(1) Exposition:
Very much like the introduction; brings out everything
We need to know to understand and follow the play
(2) Complication and Development:
Marks the onset of the play’s
Major conflict; also called the rising action, beginning of
Difficulties, perplexing questions, how, who, what, why
(3) Crisis (turning point) Climax (high point):
Character recognizes
Needs, uncertainty ends, converging circumstances,
begin to resolve the major conflict
(4) Falling action:
A time of avoidance and/or delay
(5) Denouement:
Unraveling
Resolution:
Untying
Catastrophe:
Overturning (tragedy)
Is the end; logical outcome of previous events;
Mystery explained; conflict resolved; mistakes
Corrected; deserving characters rewarded
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Literary Terms for Drama Unit
Dialogue
Complication
Sophocles
Prologue
Low comedy
Castrophe
Tragedy
Aeschylus
Exodes
Comedy of manners
Introduction
Exposition
Parados
Old attic comedy
Freytag Pyramid
trilogy
catharsis
old comedy
romantic comedy
climax
dithyramb
tragic dilemma
middle comedy
drama
crisis
resolution
episode
high comedy
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denouement
Christianity
epodes
new comedy
structure
proscenium
Dionysus
strophes
satiric comedy
monologue
performance
Euripides
anti-strophes
farce
Attendance
Because the writing assignments are based on class discussion, instruction,
and practice, your presence in class is essential. Only six hours (not classes)
of absence are permitted in any English course. After the second absence,
you will be dropped from the class. There are no exceptions to this rule.
*Always check the board by the receptionist’s desk in the main hallway for
any class cancellations. School closings are announced on both radio stations
and utilize the internet to check the NAC website. Make sure the instructor
has a work and home number in case of school closings on a test date.
Academic Dishonesty
Academic fraud and dishonesty are defined in the student Handbook. Any
instructor who suspects that cheating or plagiarism has occurred will act in
accordance with the guidelines contained in the Student Handbook.
Change in the Syllabus
Changes in the syllabus are not expected. However, if such changes become
necessary, the changes will be announced to the class.
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Grading Policy/Standards
Your grade will be the points you have earned divided by the total points
possible, plus or minus in-class points.
90--100 = A
80--89 = B
70--79 = C
60--69 = D
Anything below 60% is failing
A essay has all these qualities: original thought; a clearly defined point;
exceptional organization; sentence structure; transitions and paragraph
development; fitting, lively and consistent diction; almost total freedom
from mechanical errors.
B essay has all these qualities: competent thought; a clearly defined point;
effective organization, sentence structure, transitions and paragraph
development; accurate diction; only infrequent and minor errors.
C essay has all these qualities: predictable thought; defined point; adequate
organization, transitions, and paragraph development; usually coherent
sentence structure; understandable diction, isolated serious mechanical
errors; occasional minor mechanical errors.
D essay has all these qualities: somewhat confused thought; vapid (lifeless,
dull) or somewhat muddled point, frequently weak and chaotic organization,
transitions and paragraph development; frequently incoherent sentence
structure; frequently inexact diction; occasional serious errors in mechanics;
fairly frequent minor errors.
F essay is seriously deficient for any of these reasons: confused thought;
absence of point; incoherence in organization and paragraph; ineptly
constructed, obscurely worded sentences; frequent mechanical errors, either
serious or minor.
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Course Schedule Spring 2012
DATE
Jan.
10//12
Week 1
Jan.
17//19
Week 2
Jan. 24/26
(25) no
Class
Week 3
Jan //Feb.
31//2
Week 4
Feb. 7//9
Week 5
Feb.
14//16
Week 6
Feb.
21//23
Week 7
Feb/Mar
28//1
Week 8
March
6//8
Week 9
March
13//15
WORK DUE
Essay #1
*in-class
Read The Shack
ASND
Essay #2
CLASS DISCUSSION
Syllabus: Writing, reading, essay format
Prose fiction, single setting, Poe, The Necklace
(Handout) 1st notebook entry
Everyday Use 312; A Rose for Emily 115; The
Yellow Wallpaper 415
Notebook entries for short stories
Structure: 5 stages, not a rigid order I Stand Here
Ironing 180; Characters: The Things They Carried
277; The Tell-Tale Heart 450
Point of View: Barn Burning 225; The Lottery
304; The Storm 164; (The Work Box) ; Setting,
style, tone
Symbolism / allegory; Young Goodman Brown
332; Kansas 109; The Story of an Hour 106
Read The Shack
ASND
Idea or theme, the meaning & message: Hills Like
White Elephants 78; Rocking Horse Winner 391;*
The Curse (handout)
Short Story
**Unit Exam** w/notebook assignment
Notebook due
Poetry intro: Oh my love is like a red, red rose
(*Mid-Terms)
548; Richard Cory 718; The Meal 537; The
Read The Shack Waking 605; Dreams of Suicide 632-633
Essay #3
Word order, imagery, metaphor, simile, tone;
Do not go gentle into that good night 651;
Because I could not stop for death 687; The Raven
623; My Papa’s Waltz 647; The Courage that my
Mother Had 649
Read The Shack poetic devices: prosody, sound, rhythm, form,
shape of the poem, symbolism, allusion; The Work
Box (handout); Four haiku 607-609; The Road
Not Taken 697; Stopping By Woods 697-698; a
poem of your choice
Poetry Notebook Conclude poetry///Unit Exam///Intro to Drama
Due
Dramatic vision, structure, Freytag pyramid, Tea
Read The Shack Party (handout) The Brute 748; tragic vision:
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Trifles 787; Nine Ten 781; be prepared to read the
upcoming plays so we can stay on schedule
NO CLASSES
SPRING BREAK
Week 10
March
19-23
Week 11
Essay # 4
Read The Shack
March
27//29
Week 12
April 3//5 Essay # 5
Week 13
Dramatic vision, reality/nonrealistic, motion
pictures, novels, Homer//Sophocles; The Odyssey
(movie)
The Odyssey; Oedipus the King 1074; The Shack;
The Stronger 867
Oedipus the King 1074; Suggested read: A
Streetcar Named Desire;
The Shack
Finish Oedipus the King1074; The Glass
Menagerie 1178; The Shack
April
10//12
Week 14
April
17//19
Week 15
Research paper
April
24//26
Week 16
Drama Notebook **Final Unit Exam Review**
due
Literary works presentation
*April 20—last day to drop
April 30
May 5
Week 17
**Finals schedule determine day for final unit
exam*
**
Schedule change depends on snow days
May 7
May 12
Final Exams
Final Grades
Graduation 10:00 am
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Essay Requirements
 Essay 1: Discuss how the author develops plot using cultural or social
conflict in one of the following stories:
Everyday Use; The Necklace; A Rose for Emily; The Yellow
Wallpaper
 Essay 2: Discuss the author’s development of character by using the
elements of the short story in one of the following stories:
I Stand Here Ironing; The Things They Carried; The Tell-Tale Heart;
The Lottery; Barn Burning; The Storm
 Essay 3: Discuss how the point of view, style, tone, or setting control
the success of these literary works as you analyze one of the
following: Young Goodman Brown; Kansas; The Story of an Hour;
Hills Like White Elephants; Rocking Horse Winner; The Curse
 Essay 4: Choose a poem from your book and discuss the development
of its character through the use of different poetry elements, such as
imagery, depth, range, metaphors, similes, prosody, sound,
meaning, rhythm, symbolism, or word order in the poem:
You may write on any poem we’ve covered.
 Essay 5: Discuss the development of a universal theme, (such as love
is blind, abuse or neglect of the elderly) through the use of dramatic
elements in on of the following: The Tea Party; The Brute; The
Stronger; Trifles
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English
Composition
1023
Sandra J. Keele
M.Ed. N.D.
skeele@hps.k12.ar.us
skeele@northark.edu
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“Our greatest glory is not in never
failing, but in getting up every time
we do.”
Confucius
“Before you embark on a journey of revenge,
Dig two graves.”
Confucius
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