Course Requirements.
What must be done.
Attendance and Participation (15%)
Attendance and participation are absolutely vital for this course. Much of our work will take place in lecture and discussion, and the material therein will be necessary for the midterm and final exams.
Journal of Questions (15%)
You will be required to keep a reading journal of questions or interesting ideas you encounter. Plan on devoting 20-30 minutes per week to the journal (figure the equivalent of approximately 400-500 words, with variations for style). We will use them as prompts for classroom discussion and for in-class activities, so you should keep them with you every class period. The journal of questions is to help you develop your thoughts relating to the course themes, and to ask questions and make remarks about what you encounter in the text. The journal should help you develop your understanding of the course problematics, issues in literature, and should provide a basis for studying for your midterm and final exams and projects.
Journals will receive grades based on depth of responses. An “F” or “D” journal will demonstrate that you did not complete the reading, or that you merely used summaries. “C” journal will demonstrate that you did the reading, but may only briefly analyze the material. A “B” journal will develop a line of questioning and an analytical relationship with the text at hand. An “A” journal demonstrates the qualities of a “B” journal along with significant intellectual engagement, unique approach, and outside research.
Response Papers (6.67% each=20%)
Your responses essays will be traditional literary analyses based off of class discussions and your own questions. I will provide a selection of topics, and you will produce a 1000 word paper analyzing a book or short story we examined in class, using skills we will develop in lecture, discussion, and the journals. Each response paper should include:
Presentation (10%)
The presentation will be a 15-minute introduction to and analysis of your assigned text based on a particular theoretical school and engaging major field questions related to the representation of atrocity. The presentation (i.e. your lecture) should be about 8-10 minutes, and you should leave at least 5 minutes for the class to ask you questions. Each presentation should include:
Disaster Catastrophe Havoc (10%)
This creative assignment will involve world-building, character development, and social commentary in a creative arena. You will be required to create your own disaster scenario and to develop a creative project surrounding it. The project may be based on a historical disaster or atrocity (or create an alternate history) or develop a semi-plausible “future non-fiction” scenario based on an existing social issue.
Final Paper (20%)
Your final project may take a variety of forms, although it must include a researched literary analysis of 5000-6500 words. You will be required to meet with me after midterms in order to devise an appropriate project.
Please remember that you are required to meet with me prior to starting the final project. I must approve your topic and methodology.
Final Exam (10%)
The final exam will include terminology and identification, but will focus mainly on interpretation and development of a specific idea related to each text.
Attendance and participation are absolutely vital for this course. Much of our work will take place in lecture and discussion, and the material therein will be necessary for the midterm and final exams.
- You may miss up to 4 classes, but upon the 5th absence, you will lose 1/3 of a letter grade, and upon the 6th absence, you will start losing a full letter grade per absence. Two incidents of tardiness or sleeping in class count as an absence.
- While you *may* miss up to 4 classes, you are missing points and vital discussion time each class.
- Your voice is essential to class. You will be required to keep a weekly journal of questions, explained below, to help you prepare for discussion, and you will be expected to contribute meaningfully to discussion at least once per week.
- You will also be required to lead at least one discussion during the semester.
- Completion of all reading assignments on time. There will be at least five unannounced reading quizzes over the semester to confirm that you have done the reading. More quizzes may be applied if discussion flags.
- Some in-class writing, generally to build ideas from journals towards a formal assignment.
- You are required to meet with me at least once during the semester, but you are welcome in my office hours at any time.
- You are required to lead discussion once this semester. For discussion leadership, you will take responsibility for a section of the text, and will draft discussion questions to lead the class through the text. Discussion leadership requires careful preparation, although it should not entirely consist of a lecture. You should have brief opening remarks, select several passages for discussion, and draft questions in case discussion falters.
Journal of Questions (15%)
You will be required to keep a reading journal of questions or interesting ideas you encounter. Plan on devoting 20-30 minutes per week to the journal (figure the equivalent of approximately 400-500 words, with variations for style). We will use them as prompts for classroom discussion and for in-class activities, so you should keep them with you every class period. The journal of questions is to help you develop your thoughts relating to the course themes, and to ask questions and make remarks about what you encounter in the text. The journal should help you develop your understanding of the course problematics, issues in literature, and should provide a basis for studying for your midterm and final exams and projects.
Journals will receive grades based on depth of responses. An “F” or “D” journal will demonstrate that you did not complete the reading, or that you merely used summaries. “C” journal will demonstrate that you did the reading, but may only briefly analyze the material. A “B” journal will develop a line of questioning and an analytical relationship with the text at hand. An “A” journal demonstrates the qualities of a “B” journal along with significant intellectual engagement, unique approach, and outside research.
Response Papers (6.67% each=20%)
Your responses essays will be traditional literary analyses based off of class discussions and your own questions. I will provide a selection of topics, and you will produce a 1000 word paper analyzing a book or short story we examined in class, using skills we will develop in lecture, discussion, and the journals. Each response paper should include:
- Brief summary
- Historical context
- Theoretical argument
- Close reading of 2-3 passages that support theoretical claim
- Must cite at least 3 outside sources per paper
Presentation (10%)
The presentation will be a 15-minute introduction to and analysis of your assigned text based on a particular theoretical school and engaging major field questions related to the representation of atrocity. The presentation (i.e. your lecture) should be about 8-10 minutes, and you should leave at least 5 minutes for the class to ask you questions. Each presentation should include:
- Brief summary
- Historical context
- Theoretical argument
- Close reading of 2-3 passages that support theoretical claim
- Some visual component
Disaster Catastrophe Havoc (10%)
This creative assignment will involve world-building, character development, and social commentary in a creative arena. You will be required to create your own disaster scenario and to develop a creative project surrounding it. The project may be based on a historical disaster or atrocity (or create an alternate history) or develop a semi-plausible “future non-fiction” scenario based on an existing social issue.
Final Paper (20%)
Your final project may take a variety of forms, although it must include a researched literary analysis of 5000-6500 words. You will be required to meet with me after midterms in order to devise an appropriate project.
Please remember that you are required to meet with me prior to starting the final project. I must approve your topic and methodology.
Final Exam (10%)
The final exam will include terminology and identification, but will focus mainly on interpretation and development of a specific idea related to each text.