“Poets are the
unacknowledged legislators of the world.” Percy Bysshe Shelley
Date: August 2008
I.
Faculty Information
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A.
Instructor: |
Assistant
Professor, Carey Millsap-Spears |
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B.
Office: |
F208 |
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C.
Office Hours: |
MW
3-4pm; TR 1-2 pm; and by appointment |
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D.
Mailbox: |
Room
F130 |
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E.
Office Phone: |
708/608-4018 |
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F.
e-mail: |
II.
Course Identification: COM-102-019
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A.
Credit Hours: |
3 |
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B.
Total Contact Hours: |
3
lecture lab:0 |
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C.
Prerequisite: |
Grade
of “C” or better in COM-101. |
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D.
Corequisite: |
None |
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E.
Course Meets: |
TR |
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F.
Catalog Description: |
Analytical
and critical writing based on the types of literature. Research is used to
incorporate supporting ideas from critics in essays of literary analysis. A
grade of “C” or better is required for this course to transfer under the
guidelines of the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI). Fee is required. |
III. Textbooks
A. Required:
1. Gardner, Janet. Writing About Literature: a
Portable Guide.
2. King, Stephen. Carrie.
3. Moore, Alan, and David Lloyd. V for Vendetta.
4. Sebold, Alice. The Lovely Bones.
B. Optional but recommended:
1. College-level dictionary and
thesaurus
C. Supplies: Two-pocket folder; stapler; e-mail account; loose-leaf
paper; binder
IV. What to Expect in this Section of COM 102
Students will employ critical thinking, writing, and
reading skills throughout the semester. We will read two novels, a graphic
novel, write and read some poetry, and create a play and the final exam.
Critical Thinking: Students will show the mastery of the material by
- Analyzing personal assumptions about literature,
authors, and cultures.
- Understanding that literature shows the range of
human experience throughout time, place, class, and race.
- Demonstrating critical reading skills assessed
via a variety of methods including tests and quizzes.
- Demonstrating critical writing skills assessed
via departmental standards of grading essay quality.
- Judging and evaluating non-literary and literary
text.
- Creating connections among texts discussed and
other texts.
- Understanding that the definition of “literature”
is fluid and can encompass a variety of text.
Problem Solving: Students will show a mastery of the material by writing essays that
employ critical reading and thinking skills and
- Writing personal response papers and in-class
writing.
- Conducting academic research.
- Producing documented, analytical essays.
- Participating in group discussions.
V. Expected
Education Outcomes for Student Learning
1. Communicating
Read and listen with comprehension
Write and speak effectively in English
2. Literary and Artistic
Insight
Understand the nature of literary, philosophical, and artistic
expression and how particular works have contributed to the ideas and culture
of the past and present
VI.
Course Content Learning Outcomes
At
the end of this course, the student should be able to:
1. Demonstrate advanced
proficiency in using the essential steps in the writing
process as introduced in COM 101.
2. Write analytical and
interpretive prose which contains appropriate
references to and/or direct quotations from a literary work or essay.
3. Evaluate, analyze, and
interpret works the short story, novella, poetry, drama, and essay.
4. Express judgments and
opinions which are solidly based on evidence from a
text.
5. Demonstrate advanced proficiency
in using the basic tools of research as introduced in COM 101
6. Identify and select credible
and interpretive works to support the thesis of an essay or research paper.
7. Incorporate ideas of experts
with the one’s own ideas in coherent and
unified prose.
VII. Major
Concepts
- Literary
forms: short
story, poetry, drama, and the novel.
- Diverse literary and
cultural backgrounds of Western and nonwestern cultures.
- Social, political, and
philosophical, and religious influences on writers.
- Literary criticism:
major concepts.
VIII. Classroom Policies/Procedures:
At the end of this syllabus, please find an attached a copy of the
college’s General Information Sheet. Please read it carefully and keep it for
reference during the semester.
A.
Attendance & Participation: Students are expected to promptly attend, thoroughly prepare for, and
actively participate in class meetings. Students who miss more than
four class meetings should withdraw from the course since five absences
will result in a failing grade for the course. If a student is absent, it
is his or her responsibility to check the syllabus or to see the instructor
before attending the next class for any additional information. Students are
required to be prepared for each class day as outlined in the daily schedule.
Students are expected to be to class on time.
Punctuality
is important. Arriving late disrupts the learning process for everyone. It is also disrespectful to the other members
of the class. If a student is habitually
late, he or she should withdraw from the course. Since attendance is taken at
the beginning of each class, it is the student’s responsibility to ensure his
or her name is marked present. Late
students need to take a seat near the door, but if the door is shut, please do
not enter.
B.
Withdrawal:
Should a student decide to withdraw, the student needs to make sure to have his
or her name officially removed from the course. A student who does not withdraw
officially from a course may receive a grade of “F,” depending on course
progress or course attendance, which will become part of the student’s
permanent record. The official
withdrawal date is listed in the General Information Sheet.
C.
Student Conduct: Each student is responsible for adhering to the Code of Student
Conduct as stated in the college catalog. Violators of the Code of
Student Conduct will be sent to the office of judicial affairs on campus and/or
removed from this class. Particular rules for this course include the
following:
- Students will not speak
over instructor.
- Students will not speak
over each other.
- Students will not use
racial slurs or profanity in class.
- Students will not bring
food into the classrooms, library, or computer labs.
- Students will make
personal appointments with the instructor if any problem arises. No
personal issues (such as grades, health, or family problems) will be
discussed in the classroom or computer lab.
D.
Phones, Pagers, Text-Messaging: All telephones and pagers must be turned off and put
away during class. Any student who fails to adhere to this policy will be asked
to leave the class. A copy of the college statement concerning the use of cell
phones, pagers, and other communication devices in instructional areas is
attached.
VII.
Grading and Requirements for Student Success
Assignment
|
Percentage
|
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In-class writing |
10 |
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Quizzes |
10 |
|
Exam |
20 |
|
Essays |
30 |
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Research Paper |
20 |
|
Group Activities |
10 |
|
Total |
100 |
A.
Requirements and Evaluation: Essays will be graded per COM/LIT departmental
standards of grammar; see attached guidelines. Mathematical breakdown: Letter grades have
corresponding numerical values. The scale is as follows: A+ = 100, A = 95, A- =
90, B+ = 89, B = 85, B- = 80, C+ = 79, C = 75, C- = 70, D+ = 69, D = 65, D- =
60, F = 50 (if assignment is turned in—if not a grade of zero will be applied.)
Final
grades are awarded on this scale: A=90+, B=80%+, C=70%+, D=60%+
B. Late Work: All assignments are due at
the start of each class. One of the four
essays can be turned in late, but the student loses one letter grade everyday
the paper is late. No work is accepted via e-mail or fax.
C.
Make-Up Policy:
In-class activities can’t be made up. If a student misses an in-class activity, a grade of
zero will apply. The final must be taken on time. If a student is extremely ill
or has some other family emergency, it is his or her responsibility to contact
an academic advisor for help with withdrawing from the course and/or a
D.
Revisions:
The instructor may allow one revision before the research paper. If students
are struggling, please seek help from the instructor or the writing center
before turning a paper in.
E.
In-class writing: A writing prompt is given and students
respond. If students are absent, they lose the percentage points for those
activities because in-class writing cannot be made up.
F.
Quizzes: No
quizzes can be made up. Expect pop quizzes each week.
G.
Exams: Students
are required to take a final exam. The exam must be taken on time, or a grade
of zero will be entered into the student’s record.
H.
Essays: All
essays must be typed, written in 12pt font, and have standard 1-inch margins,
per MLA standards. No handwritten papers accepted. Papers must be stapled. No
loose sheets accepted. Peer review/rough
draft is worth one letter grade, so neglecting peer review will cost
students one letter grade off of the total essay grade. The prewriting, rough
draft, final draft, and photocopies of all sources, when appropriate, must be
submitted with and attached to the paper or it will not be accepted and the
grade of “F” will be recorded for that assignment. Further paper specifics on
supplemental sheets. We will write four essays this semester (including the research
paper). All required items must be turned in together and on time or no credit
is given. Please Note: The instructor is not responsible for keeping
student papers together. Each student must make sure his or her paper is bound
adequately so that no pages go missing. If something is not attached and is
lost, the student will lose credit for the missing items.
All essays must be turned in to pass COM
102.
I.
Research Paper: The final paper in COM 102 is a comprehensive research assignment.
Complete requirements on supplemental sheets.
J.
Group Activities: Each class day, expect to participate in a group activity of some kind.
These are worth percentage points, so absence will cost students these points.
The instructor reserves the right to assess participation and/or cooperation
regarding the group activities.
K.
Plagiarism:
Any violation of the following principles in a student’s written assignments
turned in for a grade is plagiarism and will result in immediate failure for
the assignment and/or the course. Plagiarism includes activities such as turning in a
“recycled” paper, purchasing essays via the Internet, cutting and pasting
material from the Web, and copying a published writer’s work without proper
citations. Plagiarism is also defined in the college handbook and on
accompanying handout. It is essential that students do and only take credit for
their own work and respectfully and professionally treat others’ work. Therefore,
there will be no tolerance of cheating or plagiarism in this course. While
consequences will include failure of the assignment or failure of the course,
each case of plagiarism will be dealt with on an individual basis. The matter will be turned
over to the college disciplinary board:
1. A student may not submit work for a grade that is composed wholly or
partially by another person.
2. A student may not submit work that has been copied, wholly or
partially, from a book, article, essay, newspaper, another student’s paper or
notebook, or any other written or printed or media source. Another writer’s
exact sentences or words may be included only if presented as quotations and
the source cited accurately.
3. Written work that paraphrases any written
or printed media material without acknowledgment may not be submitted for
credit. Ideas from books and essays may be incorporated in a student’s work as
starting points, governing issues, illustrations, and the like, but in each
case the source must be cited.
4. Remember that all on-line materials
gathered for a paper are also governed by rules about plagiarism.
Please note: Any paper found to have
been purchased or downloaded from free or for-profit essay sites will earn a
student a failing grade in this course with no questions asked. The college
authorities will also be notified of the behavior.
Items on the syllabus may be added, deleted, or
modified throughout the semester at the instructor’s discretion. Students are responsible for any changes made
in their absence. Students must keep copies of all graded and ungraded work.
Daily Schedule of Events—Do all reading before
coming to class. The dates below indicate what happens during the class on that
date. Pop quizzes can happen at anytime. Be prepared for each class.
Week 1
8/26 Intro to the course; Carrie begins
8/28 Active Reading and
Literary Theory 3-13 and 40-50 in Gardner
Week 2
9/2 Thesis and writing process 14-37 in Gardner; “Ozymandias”
in-class work
9/4 Quiz
over Carrie; in-class writing and group work
Week 3
9/8 Carrie;
in-class writing and group work
9/11 Essay #1 (Carrie
response)
Week 4
9/16 Essay #1 (Carrie response) continues; Essay #1 due at class end
9/18 Metaphor activity; begin poetry—bring favorite poem or song
lyrics to class
Week 5
9/23 Sweeney Todd music example
9/25 V for Vendetta begins (1-56)
Week
6
9/30 Quiz over V for Vendetta; Begin Essay #2
10/2 V for Vendetta (56-86)
Week 7
10/7 Quiz over V for Vendetta (89-179)
10/9 V for Vendetta (182-265)
Week 8
10/14 Peer Reading; (V for
Vendetta)
10/16 Essay #2 due; Library (tentative)
10/21 No Class
10/23 Quiz
over The Lovely Bones; Research paper materials distributed
Week 10
10/28 Basic
research paper structure; sample papers; The Lovely Bones in-class
writing, group
10/30 The Lovely Bones activity; Basic MLA
refresher
Week 11
11/4 Proposal due; MLA quiz
11/6 Outline and annotated
bibliography explained
Week 12
11/11 Peer Reading; workshop
11/13 Research paper due
Week 13
11/18 Playwriting Begins
11/20 Playwriting Continues
Week 14
11/25 Exam Creation
11/27 No
Class
Week 15
12/2 Essay #4 in-class writing
12/4 Essay #4 in-class writing
Week 16
12/9 Film clip (The Corpse Bride)
12/12 Exam review
Final Exam Week