Course Syllabus
Outliers on the Tattered Fringe (ENGL 2020-04)
Classroom Building 137, T/Th 11-12:15 am
Instructor: Elijah Johnson
Email: ejohns48@uwyo.edu
Phone: (970) 361-2091
Office hours: MWF, 9-10:30 (and by appointment)
Office location: Crane Hall, 221
Course Description
Welcome to Literature. This class is about communication between people. Here, we will study acts of communication in written form and otherwise. Aiming to help you develop a deeper appreciation for reading and writing and the abilities to communicate in response to what you read, we will divide our time between reading, writing, and discussion.
This class requires that you base both your written work and your critical responses (at least in part) on your own personal life experiences. Given this, you should consider yourself very prepared to be here.
Critical Lenses
The content of the work we study in Literature is bound to vary widely. We will need a focus to offer us coherence over the course of four months, and this focus will come from our use of critical lenses. A critical lens is a framework of ideas used to make sense of any act of communication. We will familiarize ourselves briefly with several critical approaches, then move on to the development of our own critical lens.
Our critical lens will focus on ideas about outcasts and outsiders. For the purpose of our class, these terms outcasts and outsiders can mean several things: 1) People who disidentify with predominant ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving; in other words, people who are “abnormal”; 2) People, both individuals and groups, who are excluded from a protective system of resources and privileges. Whether or not these people identify with dominant beliefs, values, and behaviors, they are excluded systematically, though often unconsciously, from circles of resources, privileges, and power. On this point, we will consider systems of exclusion, such as sexism, racism, and classism; 3) Outcasts and outsiders can signify people whose experiences lie beyond the reach of our own experiences, or whose experiences remind us of the difficult, frightening things we’ve lived. If we assume that dominant social codes would have us forego the contemplation of our abnormal or ugly experiences, whether our own or someone else’s, we intend to subvert such societal expectations with the work we do in this class.
We will work together to develop our critical lens over the course of the semester, by sharing with one another terminology and questions related to our practiced understanding of outcasts and outsiders.
Reflection, Definition
To further help us structure and organize our thinking, let’s consider a set of questions as we move along: What is literature? What does literature do? Is the act of reading literature a dangerous act? What does the act of reading literature require of the person reading? What does a work of literature offer that person in return?
To maintain coherence, we will return to these questions again and again and add to them other complex questions that will arise as we read, write, and discuss.
Assignments (All work must be submitted via wyocourses or in hard-copy form)
Your final grade will consist of:
--Critical Reflection Paper (4-5 pages) 20%
--Midterm Exam 15%
--Research Presentation 25%
and Presentation Paper (2-4 pages)
--Six Reading Responses 15%
--Final Exam 15%
--Participation 10%
Grading Scale:
This class will be graded on a plus/minus system:
A=93-100; A-=90-92; B+=88-89; B=83-87; B-=80-82; C+=78-79; C=73-77;
C-=70-72 D=60-69; F=59-below
Course Assignments (All assignments will be detailed in assignment prompts, coming soon.)
1) Critical Reflection Paper: You will write one 4-5 page analysis/argument paper based on our readings and discussions. Your essay should teach and persuade the reader of something about the texts you chose to write about.
2) Reading Responses: For the first six weeks roughly, you will turn in a 1-2 page response/reflection on the reading for that week. Theses responses should be sharp, short demonstrations of your understanding of course readings as well as your attention to your own writing style.
3) Midterm Examination: The midterm exam will be based on course readings and, in particular, our class discussions about those readings.
4) Oral Presentation and Paper: During the second week of class, you’ll choose a topic (from the list) to present to the class. This topic will coincide with some aspect of our class readings. The presentations will last from 10-15 minutes, contain a visual element, and educate the class in a detailed manner. The presentation requires research. The paper is more or less the information you’ll present to the class as well as a reflection on the project itself.
5) Participation: The most visible way to show active participation is to do careful readings and contribute to class discussions. Obviously, attendance plays a part, but not just physical attendance. Be present, don’t spend your time carrying on side conversations, doing other homework, texting, etc. These participation points add up and are nice to have at the end of the semester.
6) Final Exam: The final exam will have a multiple-choice section that is closed-book and an open-book section consisting of a short essay question.
Readings
You are required to obtain hard copies of the following readings:
- A novel or novel-length book, to be decided upon by class vote. (Order online)
- Various works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, uploaded to wyocourses.
- An MLA style guide (order online)
Course Objectives
In this course, students should accomplish the following objectives:
- Access diverse information through focused research, active discussion, and collaboration with peers.
- Separate facts from inferences and relevant from irrelevant information, and explain the limitations of information.
- Evaluate the credibility, accuracy, and reliability of conclusions drawn from information.
- Recognize and synthesize multiple perspectives to develop innovative viewpoints.
- Analyze one’s own and others’ assumptions and evaluate the relevance of contexts when presenting a position.
- Communicate ideas in writing using appropriate documentation.
Other Course Policies
Disability Statement: If you have a physical, learning, or psychological disability and require accommodations, please let me know as soon as possible, preferably after the first class. I will want to work to make sure that this environment is as effective and supportive as possible. You must register with, and provide documentation of your disability to University Disability Support Services (UDSS) in SEO, Knight Hall Room 330. Their website is listed at: http://www.uwyo.edu/udss/
Attendance Policy: Daily attendance and participation is expected. The value of the course depends on the cooperation and participation of everyone. I allow three missed classes. This should cover all sickness, documented emergencies and/or religious observations. After three absences, your final grade will be reduced by five percentage points. Excessive absences will result in a failing grade.
Late Work: Late work will be accepted, but late work will receive a 10% grade deduction for the first day late, followed by a 5% deduction for every subsequent day late.
Plagiarism: From UW Regulation 6-802: The University of Wyoming is built upon a strong foundation of integrity, respect and trust. All members of the university community have a responsibility to be honest and the right to expect honesty from others. Any form of academic dishonesty is unacceptable to our community and will not be tolerated. Students who are unsure as to what is and is not academic dishonesty should please see me. Academic dishonesty will result in automatic failure in this course. University regulations can be found at http://www.uwyo.edu/generalcounsel/_files/docs/uw-reg-6-802.pdf
**This syllabus is a living document, meaning that it will likely change and grow as we go along. All updates to the syllabus will be brought to the attention of the class and made available for viewing through wyocourses.
Course Summary:
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