Course Name & Number: ENGL 2328 (American Literature from 1865)
Semester & Year: Spring 2019
Catalog Description. A survey of American literature from the Civil War to the present. Students will study works of prose, poetry, drama, and fiction in relation to their historical and cultural contexts. Texts will be selected from among a diverse group of authors for what they reflect and reveal about the evolving American experience and character.
Instructor's Name: Marcia Little
Office Phone #: 940-521-0720
Instructor's Office #: Faculty Office/Graham Campus
Email Address: mlittle@nctc.edu (however, Canvas is preferred)
Office Hours: Mon: 8:30-10, 11:20-noon, 1:20-2 pm
Tues: 8:30-10, 11:20-noon, 1:20-2 pm
Weds: 9:20-10, 11:20-noon, online: 7-9 pm
Thurs: 8:30-10, 11:20-noon, 1:20-2 pm
Textbooks & Materials: Perkins, George and Barbara Perkins. The American Tradition in Literature, Volume 2. 12th ed. McGraw-Hill, 2009. ISBN: 978-0-07-723905-3
COURSE AND COLLEGE INFORMATION
Learning Outcomes. Students who successfully complete this course will meet the following learning outcomes:
Identify key ideas, representative authors and works, significant historical or cultural events, and characteristic perspectives or attitudes expressed in the literature of different periods or regions.
Analyze literary works as expressions of individual or communal values within the social, political, cultural, or religious contexts of different literary periods.
Demonstrate knowledge of the development of characteristic forms or styles of expression during different historical periods or in different regions.
Articulate the aesthetic principles that guide the scope and variety of works in the arts and humanities.
Write research-based critical papers about the assigned readings in clear and grammatically correct prose, using various critical approaches to literature.
Foundational Component Area: Language, Philosophy, and Culture
Critical Thinking Skills (CT) - to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information
Communication Skills (COM) - to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication
Social Responsibility (SR) - to include intercultural competency, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities
Personal Responsibility (PR) - to include the ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making
Institutional Learning Goals. A quality general education curriculum in all associate degree programs.
Quality freshman and sophomore level courses in arts and sciences which parallel the lower division offerings of four-year colleges and universities.
Quality technical programs leading directly to careers in semi-skilled and skilled occupations, and quality technical education programs up to two years in length leading to certificates and associate degrees.
Quality programs and services in support of adult literacy and basic skills development as a mean of workforce enhancement and expanding access to higher education.
Program Purpose Statement. NCTC seeks to implement its goal of providing quality freshman and sophomore level courses in arts and sciences that parallel the lower division offerings of four-year colleges and universities by offering a coherent sequence of courses with appropriate breadth and depth to prepare a student for transfer to a university.
Departmental Purpose Statement. The Department of English, Speech, and Foreign Language provides quality instruction to students pursuing their academic and career goals.
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
College Attendance Policy: Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all classes for which they have registered. All absences are considered to be unauthorized unless the student is absent due to illness or emergencies as determined by the instructor. It is the student responsibility to provide documentation as to the emergency for approval and judgement by the faculty member. Approved college sponsored activities are the only absences for which a student should not be held liable and only when provided by a college official ahead of the absence. Valid reasons for absence, however, do not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work. Students will not be allowed to make up an examination missed due to absence unless they have reasons acceptable to the instructor. A student who is compelled to be absent when a test is given should petition the instructor, in advance if possible, for permission to postpone the exam. Student will be dropped from a class by the Registrar upon recommendation of the instructor who feels the student has been justifiably absent or tardy a sufficient number of times to preclude meeting the course’s objectives. Persistent, unjustified absences from classes or laboratories will be considered sufficient cause for College officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College. From Board Policy FC (LOCAL)
The instructor should describe here his/her attendance policy based on the discipline, the course, and the pedagogical techniques. Per NCTC policy, ALL INSTRUCTORS are required to take attendance every class meeting for reporting purposes.
Disability Accommodations: North Central Texas College does not discriminate on the basis of disability for admission or access to its programs. The College is committed to providing equal access to its students with disabilities by providing appropriate accommodations; a variety of services and resources are made available through the ACCESS Department. Students are responsible for notifying the ACCESS Department of their need for assistance. Students with documented disabilities, such as mobility impairment, hearing or visual impairment, learning, and psychological disorders are eligible for services.
The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides accommodations for students who have a documented disability. A disability is anything that can interfere with learning, such as a learning disability, psychological challenge, physical illness, or injury. Accommodations may include extra time on tests, tests in a distraction-reduced environment, volunteer note taker in class, etc.
On the Corinth Campus, go to room 170 or call 940-498-6207. On the Gainesville Campus, go to room 110 in the Administration Building (100) or call 940-668-4209. Students on the Bowie, Graham, Flower Mound, and online campuses should call 940-668-4209 to arrange for an intake appointment with OSD.
North Central Texas College is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, ADA Amendments Act of 2009, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-112). http://www.nctc.edu/student-services/disability-services/index.html
EEOC Statement: North Central Texas College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, or disability in the employment or the provision of services.
Financial Aid, Scholarships, and Veterans Services: The Financial Aid Office is responsible for administering a variety of programs for students who need assistance in financing their education. The first step for financial aid is to complete a FAFSA. For more information, please visit your nearest Financial Aid Office: http://www.nctc.edu/financial-aid/index.html.
Last day to Withdraw: Last day to drop a class with grade of “W” is April 25th .
Scholastic Integrity – Plagiarism: Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but not be limited to cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion. See Student Handbook “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Conduct [FLB- (LOCAL)]” #18.
Disciplinary Actions [Student Handbook, #5] “When cheating, collusion, or plagiarism has occurred beyond any reasonable doubt, the instructor may give the student or students involved an “F” on a particular assignment or in the course. [See Scholastic Dishonesty FLB (Local)] The instructor shall make a written report of the incident and the planned action to his Department Chair. The Department Chair shall report the incident and action to the appropriate instructional dean who shall review the case, notify the student and, if necessary, take further action. This may involve either probation or suspension of the student or students in question. If such disciplinary action is deemed necessary, the Dean of Student Services shall be notified, and the action shall be taken through that office.”
Plagiarism, which should be avoided at all costs, includes the following student actions:
Turning in someone else's ideas, opinions, theories, or work as your own;
Unintentionally or inadvertently turning in someone else's ideas, opinions, theories, or work as your own as the result of failing to document sources both internally and in the Works Cited;
Copying words, ideas, or images from someone without giving credit; Failing to put a quotation in quotations marks;
Giving incorrect information about the source of information, quotations, or images;
Changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit;
Copying so many words, ideas, or images from a source that it makes up the majority of the student's work, whether or not the student gives credit.
Please be aware that I take plagiarism very seriously. You may not have another person write, type, edit, or revise any parts of your Writing Assignments. You may not use someone else’s Writing Assignment or buy one from a “professional” source. You may not use the material on the internet or in print sources without documenting it. Failure to follow the proper guidelines for documentation constitutes plagiarism.
Considering the severity of the issue, if you ever have any questions or concerns regarding plagiarism, please consider this an open invitation to visit with me about the issue. If I discover that a student has committed intentional plagiarism, the Writing Assignment that has plagiarized materials will receive a zero, and I will recommend to the English Department Head that the student fails the course.
Student Rights & Responsibilities: NCTC Board policy FLB (Local) Student Rights and Responsibilities states that each student shall be charged with notice and knowledge of the contents and provisions of the rules and regulations concerning student conduct. These rules and regulations are published in the Student Handbook published in conjunction with the College Catalog. All students shall obey the law, show respect for properly constituted authority, and observe correct standards of conduct.
Student Success: The Student Success Center is designed to help all students at NCTC develop tools to achieve their academic goals. This program also links students to FREE tutoring, including a Writing Center, a Math Lab, and free 24/7 online tutoring and helps new students acclimate to college by providing computer lab services for prospective students. All students are invited to visit the Student Success Center on the Corinth Campus, rooms 170, 182, or 188; on the Gainesville Campus, rooms 114 or 111; on the Flower Mound Campus, room 111; and on the Bowie Campus, room 124.
Tobacco-Free Campus. NCTC restricts the use of all tobacco products including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, electronic cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco on campus property. NCTC is aware that tobacco use influences underage students, which cumulates unsightly tobacco litter and interferes with assuring clean air for all who come to NCTC. NCTC recognizes the health hazards of tobacco use and of exposure to second-hand smoke. Information on a tobacco cessation program is available for students, faculty, staff who wish to stop using tobacco products. We would like to "thank you" for your help in making our campuses Tobacco-Free. For questions or concerns, please contact the Office of Vice President of Student Services at 940-668-4240.
Grading Policy & Procedures.
Essay One 100 pts
Essay Two 100 pts
In class writings 10 pts/each
Quizzes 10 pts/each as needed
Presentations 25 pts
Calendar or Course Outline:
Week One (1/22)
T: Introduction to course. Read syllabus. Choose presentations.
Th: Crosscurrents: Freedom in the Gilded Age. Hopkins, “Life Among the Piutes” (494)
Week Two (1/29)
T: William Dean Howells: “Editha” (371), Cloud, “All I Want Is Peace and Justice” (493)
Th: Twain, "Life on the Mississippi" (144)
Week Three (2/4)
T: Sarah Orne Jewett: “A White Heron” (529)
Th: Kate Chopin: “The Story of an Hour” and Abraham Cahan, "Ghetto Wedding"
Week Four (2/11)
T: Crosscurrents: Prosperity and Social Justice (663)
Th: Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper”.
Begin reading Stephen Crane: Maggie: A Girl of the Streets (706-716) and Crane poetry
Week Five (2/18)
T: Finish Maggie: A Girl of the Streets and Robert Frost: “Mending Wall”; “The Road Not Taken”; “The Hill Wife”. Begin discussing Essay #1
Th: Willa Cather: Neighbour Rosicky and Edward Arlington Robinson: Richard Cory; Miniver Cheevy; Mr. Flood's Party; The Mill; New England. Discuss Carl Sandburg: Gone and Elinor Wyie, “Wild Peaches” (980) and Wallace Stevens (999-1002)
Week Six (2/25)
T: Rough Drafts due.
Th: Essay due. Review for Exam.
Week Seven (3-4)
T: Exam
Th: Langston Hughes: The Weary Blues; Song for a Dark Girl; Trumpet Player; from Montage of a Dream Deferred; Feet Live Their Own Life
Spring Break
Week Eight (3/18)
T:Crosscurrents: The Jazz Age and the Harlem Renaissance and Richard Wright: A Five Dollar Fight (1245)
Th: Steinbeck, “The Chrysanthemums” Begin reading Tennessee Williams: A Glass Menagerie (1270-1280)
Week Nine (3/25)
T: F. Scott Fitzgerald: “Babylon Revisited” (1144) and Williams (1280-1291)
Th: Finish Menagerie. Begin discussing Crosscurrents: The Age of Anxiety
Week Ten (4/1)
T: Continue discussing Age of Anxiety. Bernard Malamud: “The Mourners”
Th:James Baldwin: “Sonny’s Blues” , Allen Ginsberg: Howl
Week Eleven (4/8)
T: Elizabeth Bishop (1431-1440)
Th: Crosscurrents: What is an American? Freedom and Responsibility (1786 )
Week Twelve (4/15)
T: John Ashbery: “The Painter”, Anne Sexton: “Her Kind”; “With Mercy for the Greedy” and Adrienne Rich: “Diving into the Wreck”
Th: Philip Roth: The Conversion of the Jews (1671)
Week Thirteen (4/22)
T: Louise Erdrich: The Red Convertible
Th: Isaac Bashevis Singer: Gimpel the Fool
Week Fourteen (4/29)
T: Mary Oliver (1833)
Th: Jhumpa Lahiri: The Third and Final Continent, discuss Essay Two
Week Fifteen (5/6)
T: Essay Two due and Review for Final
Th: Review for Final
Week Sixteen (5/13)
T: FINAL