SPRING 2005
ENGLISH 121: HUMANITIES LITERATURE
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Instructor: Dr. Tina Perdue
Office: 348 Sutton Hall
Phone: 724-357-7832; English Office: 357-2261
Email: perdue@iup.edu
Web Page: www.english.iup.edu/perdue
Office Hours: 9:15-10:15 a.m. MWF, 1-3 p.m. Tues. Other times by appointment.
WELCOME TO HUMANITIES LITERATURE!
FIRST, THE OFFICIAL CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
Introduces students to literature of various genres through careful analysis of poetry, fiction, and drama. Includes literature of various time periods, nationalities, and minorities. Pretty basic, hmm?
NOW, MY DESCRIPTION (Hang on. There’s a lot to cover.)
What This Course Is Designed To Do: The goal of Humanities Literature is to help you develop or to continue an appreciation for literary works. Before you start laughing too hard, read on. I’ve set up this course to reflect how people read literature when they read for their own purposes—even for enjoyment. That’s the good news; the bad news is that we’ll talk and write about what we’re reading; in the process, I will nudge you all beyond mere plot summary into more critical/analytical comments on character, theme, setting, and theme, to name a few elements of literature..
How This Course Will Do It: The primary tasks in Humanities Lit are reading, writing about your responses, and discussing your reading and responses in class. In other words, you will read literary works that you choose (more or less), write informally about them in a learning log/reading journal, and discuss them with me and your classmates. While we will read a small number of literary works in common, the bulk of your reading in the course will be your choices, selected by you in conference with me.
Reading: There are limits to your choices. The first is that any work you read for class must be fiction, poetry, or drama (See more on this limit below). The second limit is human decency. I will not permit readings that involve purposeless brutality, either physical or mental. I recognize that judgments about morality and definitions of literary works involve matters of personal choice and taste so together we will review your choices and be guided by this discussion. But if push comes to shove, I reserve the right to make the final determination, based upon my experience as an English teacher, college professor, and experienced reader.
Speaking and Writing: You will also discuss your readings and journal entries with a small group of your peers. About two thirds of class time will involve these small group discussions. In addition, you will give presentations, or book talks, of your private readings to your working group. This way, every student acts as a resource for reading material for all of us—including me. The book talks always provide me with interesting reading.
At least one book talk will be presented to the entire class. Yes, it can be a repeat of one that you gave in your small group so you have a chance to rehearse in advance.
NOW FOR THE NUTS AND BOLTS:
READ ON SO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GETTING IN FOR
The Bottom Line--Course Grades: Your final grade will be determined by how many points you earn over the semester. The total number is 1000 points.
Assignments Points Grading Scale
Reading Literary Works Independently 300 1000-900 = A
Learning Log/Reading Journal 300 899-800 = B
Midterm Journal Review 50 799-700 = C
Final Summary of the Log/Journal 100 699-600 = D
Final Examination 100 > 599 = F
Class Partic. (includes activities below) 150
5 small group Book Talks 7 pts ea 35 total
1 4-6 minute large group Book Talk 20 pts 20 total
5 Conferences w/Instructor * 7 pts ea 35 total
40 Showing up 1.5 pt ea 60 total
*(Special note on instructor conference points: You may earn 7 points per conference, but if you miss a conference with me, you will lose 50, not 7, points. These conferences are essential for tracking your progress.)
HOW TO EARN THOSE POINTS:
Independent Reading: You must complete a number of units of private reading. 150-170 pages will count for one unit of reading, depending on level of difficulty. Short stories or poems, when you do not read the entire book that contains them, will count as a portion of a unit. One purpose of your in-class conferences with me is to discuss such matters. Aside from length, other criteria for your reading selections apply; see the next section.
Advice: whatever their length, read five separate works so you can give five separate book talks.
Each unit is worth 20 of 300 points on the final grade.
Criteria for Readings in ENGL-121: Listed below are the criteria for picking works to be read in Humanities Lit that were adopted by the English Department. You must select works that fulfill each of the following categories to earn points. Before you lose all hope, note that a single book may fulfill more than one criterion at a time. For example, a book written after 1945 (#6 below) may fulfill part of the requirement to read a book from each of three centuries since it‘s also a 20th century work (#2). If it’s by a woman, tack on #3 below for a triple play.
All courses appropriate to the literature area of liberal studies requirements must:
1. Focus on important works of Western literature through an examination of its major genres (fiction, drama, and poetry), avoiding excessive emphasis on one author or genre or nation's literature; (Note: I count autobiographies and biographies as fiction.)
2. Include works from at least three different centuries, although treatment need not be chronological or sequential;
3. Include works by women and minority writers;
4. Include an Anglo-American (British or American) work;
5. Include a work in translation; (you’ll get help here. Not to worry!)
6. Include a contemporary work (i.e., 1945 to present).
These criteria are designed to get you to read widely, not just focus on one particular era or author or genre. To that end, you may read two books by the same author, but no more—at least for credit for this course. Naturally, if you find an author or two whose books you want to devour, then I count this course a huge success for you. But for the course’s purposes, variety is important; who knows what else is out there that you may love?
Other limits:
1) One book you choose may overlap with reading for another course. This book can be non-fiction, the only exception to the limit noted above.
2) This course is aimed at college reading. However, some young adult (YA) reading may qualify for units. We need to review these individually before you read. Because they’re relatively easy reading, no more than four units are possible for YA.
3) You must complete your reading by the last day of class or your exit conference, whichever comes first. On that day, I will collect the summary page from your log/journal described below and use it to determine your grade for the reading portion of the course. Not giving me this page means that you receive no points for the reading portion of the course. Don’t do that to yourself!
Warning: I don’t approve more than two books in advance, so consult with me often.
Learning Log/ Reading Journal: The learning log/reading journal offers you a chance to explore the readings and class discussion as well as to rehearse your learning in writing. You are required to spend at least 15 minutes writing in your log/journal after you finish a reading or portion of a reading. Also, BRING YOUR LOG /JOURNAL TO CLASS, since you will write in it during class. In addition, I may collect some of your writing from you or ask to see it in conference. Keep any class notes and book talk responses in your journal as well. Click here for some ideas for journal entries.
Log Format: Please buy a 3-ring binder that holds standard-size (8.5x11) paper and a good supply of that paper. If you write on a computer, please print out your entries in Courier 12, double-spaced pages, (a large font), punch holes, and put them in your binder. Print entries to bring to instructor conferences.
Summary Sheet: The very first page of your log/journal should be a summary sheet of your reading. Click here for a downloadable copy.
Format for Entries: In the upper right-hand corner of each entry, put the page number, date, and name of the literary work you're writing about. If the entry on this work is more than one page, you need only put the journal page number in the upper right corner. Pages should be numbered consecutively throughout the journal. Do not number each entry separately.
The Log/Journal Grade is based entirely on the total number of pages that you write. Around midterm and in a final conference with me, we will count the pages together and multiply them by 3 to arrive at the number of points you have earned. The deadline for this log/journal is our exit conference. Log/journals that don't follow the format described above will not receive credit. To be counted fully, a page must contain a minimum of 200 words. DO NOT begin a new page for a new entry.
The Midterm Review is intended to be a short, informal mid-course reflection on your reading, writing, and discussions so far. I will ask you to re-read your journal in order to consider what readings you’ve liked and disliked so far, how your journal entries are going, how the group discussions are working out, and finally, what you need to do for the second half of the course.
The Final Review of the Log/Journal is also a short, informal analysis of some aspect of your log/journal or of your log/journal itself. I have two requirements for the paper: 1) it must show that you made an effort to consider your reading during the semester; 2) it must make direct reference to specific readings by name. This writing is due during the last week of class.
Class Participation: Your participation in the class will involve the following. First, you will be expected to participate regularly in whole class and small group discussion. Second, you will be expected to give at least seven book talks as described below. Third, you will be expected to read the log/journal entries of your group members 1-2 times a week during class time and write responses to their writing in their log/journals. Finally, you should plan to meet with me about every third week to discuss your progress in the course, to talk about the works that you are reading, and to talk about books that you plan to read.
Book Talks: You are required to give five book talks to your group members and one 4-6 minute book talk to the whole class. The purpose of the book talks is to provide other students in the class with an opportunity to learn about readings that may interest them. A book talk has four parts: 1st, summarize the work; 2nd, state why the book interested you, at least initially; 3rd, say who might be interested in this book, and 4th, recommend or pan it. Make sure all four parts are included so group members can write journal responses easily!
Special note on group etiquette: each person may give only one book talk in any single class session. No hogging of group work time!
Responses to Book Talks: Group members should write a brief summary of the book they just heard about as well as an assessment of why they would or would not read the book. These responses are part of the journal page count. I will also ask to read a couple during conferences.
Instructor Conferences: On the board every day will be sign-ups for ten-minute-or-so conferences with me to discuss your current and future reading selections and any other issues that arise for you. As noted, about every third week, put your name on the board and come talk to me. I don’t bite--unless you don't show up. Special Note: Because these conferences are crucial benchmarks for you and I to discuss your progress, every missed conference with me results in a 50 point loss in your final grade total. Do not do this to yourself!
Attendance & Discussion: My policy is simple: You earn 2 points for every class you participate in. Aside from the three allowed absences dictated by university policy, there will be no excused absences from class participation since the opportunity to participate is gone when the class session has ended. At the end of the semester I will add the number of times you attended class. Those who attend all but one session get an extra 2 points; those who attend all sessions get an extra 3 points. These points may seem pretty minimal, but they come in handy for borderline grades.
Ask me about double-coupon days.
Final Examination: The bad news: there will be a final exam. The good news: it’s likely to be a take-home. More on this in time.
Academic Integrity Policy: Using the work of someone else without giving it credit is considered plagiarism. I strictly follow the Academic Integrity Policy adopted by the Council of Trustees on May 15, 1998. Click here for the details of this policy. Then click on "Other Policies" and scroll down to "Academic Integrity Policy and Procedures." It's about two-thirds of the way down the scroll bar.
That's it. If the independent format of this course, along with its policies and procedures, suits you, I'll see you in class. If not, I suggest that you drop this section and find one that fits you better. I'll take your return to class as your agreement to abide by these policies and procedures.
Click here for Course Schedule
Click here for direct links to a ton of novels from Project Gutenberg.
Click here for the book lists developed by previous classes
***Potential extra credit: Anyone who develops an annotated bibliography of recommended reading for people interested in particular kinds of books may receive up to 20 points of extra credit. Note: select books that are similar in some way to each other. Possible areas of interest include—but are not limited to--the following, and yes, oftentimes, themes overlap. Not to worry—you select the focus for your list:
Coming of age/Growing up Authors of other centuries
Translated novels Religious themes
SF Fantasy
Sports (specializing in a single sport Food/Cooking
or not) Historical fiction
Regional Literature (about a certain Urban Issues
section of the country--or planet) Country/Ranch/Farm Life
Mother-daughter relationships Father-son relationships
Family in general Romance
Mystery Suspense
Horror Female authors
Minority authors
These recommendations need not be limited to books you’ve read for this class, but you do need to select up to 20 readings with a common theme, provide author, title, and information on century and translation status, then describe it in 2-3 lines.
Ask me for hard copy samples, or click here for an example page.