Class Topic: Welcome
On the first day of class
You don't need to prepare anything, but if you have your iPad, please bring it to class.
In this class, I hope to make use of the iPads and laptops you've been issued.
If you are a part-time student or you have chosen not to opt into the Griffin Technology Advantage plan, don't worry, you will still be able to do all of the assignments, but you will need to supply a few extra things such as printouts, different colored highlighters, and a few other resources. (We'll talk about that if and when the need arises.)
What's the deal with the Monday due dates?
If you're exploring this website on your own before class, you might be a bit surprised to see that the calendar on the right has due dates on Monday.
This class meets only on Wednesdays. There are no Monday classes, but there will be weekly online exercises that are due by 5pm Monday afternoon. These exercises are intended to prepare you (and me) for the class discussions on Wednesday. If Monday is not a good day for you, you can of course start on those assignments over the weekend.
You don't need to prepare anything, but if you have your iPad, please bring it to class.
In this class, I hope to make use of the iPads and laptops you've been issued.
If you are a part-time student or you have chosen not to opt into the Griffin Technology Advantage plan, don't worry, you will still be able to do all of the assignments, but you will need to supply a few extra things such as printouts, different colored highlighters, and a few other resources. (We'll talk about that if and when the need arises.)
What's the deal with the Monday due dates?
If you're exploring this website on your own before class, you might be a bit surprised to see that the calendar on the right has due dates on Monday.
This class meets only on Wednesdays. There are no Monday classes, but there will be weekly online exercises that are due by 5pm Monday afternoon. These exercises are intended to prepare you (and me) for the class discussions on Wednesday. If Monday is not a good day for you, you can of course start on those assignments over the weekend.
In-class Activity: Close Reading Exercise
Assigned Text: Defence of Fort McHenry (Key)
Assigned Text: To a Waterfowl (Bryant)
In-class Activity: Annotation Exercise
Assigned Text: The Wife (Irving)
Assigned Text: Rip Van Winkle (Irving)
Online pre-discussion
Class only meets on Wednesdays. By 5pm Monday, complete a brief online GriffinGate exercise that prepares you for Wednesday's class. (Read the text assigned for today first.)
Assigned Text: Model Essays
Several model essays on today's readings.
In-class Activity: Writing Exercise
Read and respond to model essays.
Continue reading...Class Topic: Romanticism: Class and the Frontier
Ex 1: Response to Model Essays
Read and respond to model essays. (Details to follow.)
In-class Activity: Analysis Exercise
In class, I will give you a short poem, asking you to read it, mark it up, and complete an analysis activity.
Continue reading...Assigned Text: Young Goodman Brown (Hawthorne)
Assigned Text: How To Read Literature…
Introduction, Chapters 1 & 2
Continue reading...Online pre-discussion
By 5pm Monday, complete a brief online GriffinGate exercise that prepares you for Wednesday's class.
Continue reading...Assigned Text: The Scarlet Letter (1-6)
Note that I am not assiging "The Cusom-House: Introductory to "The Scarlet Letter"
In-class Activity: Writing Exercise
Read and respond to model essays.
Class Topic: Romanticism: Community and Individual
In-class Activity: Analysis Exercise
See last week's poetry analysis exercise for details.
Assigned Text: The Scarlet Letter (7-12)
Assigned Text: How To Read Literature…
Chapters 3, 5, 7
Assigned Text: The Scarlet Letter (13-18)
Online pre-discussion
By 5pm Monday, complete a brief online GriffinGate exercise that prepares you for Wednesday's class. (Read the text assigned for today first.)
Continue reading...In-class Activity: Writing Exercise
Read and respond to model essays.
Continue reading...Class Topic: Romanticism: Intuition and Nature
Ex 2: Revision of Model Essays
In-class Activity: Analysis Exercise
Assigned Text: The Scarlet Letter (19-24)
Assigned Text: How To Read Literature…
Chapters 8, 9, 10
Assigned Text: Emily Dickinson
Series 1, Section III "NATURE"
Continue reading...Online pre-discussion
By 5pm Monday, complete a brief online GriffinGate exercise that prepares you for Wednesday's class.
In-class Activity: Interpretive Exercise
Respond to a literary argument.
Class Topic: Romanticism: Gender
In-class Activity: Analysis Exercise
Assigned Text: Bartleby the Scrivener (Melville)
Assigned Text: How To Read Literature…
Interlude (p. 82), Chapters 12, 13
Assigned Text: Emerson (Selections)
Short works by Emerson. (TBA)
Online pre-discussion
By 5pm Monday, complete a brief online GriffinGate exercise that prepares you for Wednesday's class. (Read the text assigned for today first.)
In-class Activity: Thesis Workshop
Class Topic: Transcendentalism
Ex 3: Analytical Essay
In-class Activity: Analysis Exercise
Assigned Text: Emerson
Nature (essay)
Assigned Text: John Henry (Ballad)
Folk Ballad (details TBA)
Assigned Text: Uncle Remus Tales
Selections (TBA)
Online pre-discussion
By 5pm Monday, complete a brief online GriffinGate exercise that prepares you for Wednesday's class. (Read the text assigned for today first.)
In-class Activity: Paper 1 Workshop
Come to class with a thesis to propose for Paper 1. (Details TBA.)
Class Topic: Realism: Regionalism
Paper 1: Presubmission
The "Presubmission" asks you to propose a thesis, and include quotations for both the "pro" and "con" sides of your paper.
In-class Activity: Analysis Exercise
Assigned Text: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Pages 68-137 ("Notice" through Chapter 14)
Assigned Text: From Sunup to Sundown
Pages 19-29 of our Huck Finn text.
Online pre-discussion
By 5pm Monday, complete a brief online GriffinGate exercise that prepares you for Wednesday's class. (Read the text assigned for today first.)
In-class Activity: Writing Exercise
Respond to a literary argument.
Class Topic: Realism: Race
Paper 1: Draft
In-class Activity: Analysis Exercise
Assigned Text: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Pages 138-242 (Chapters 15-28)
Assigned Text: How To Read Literature…
Chapters 19, 20, and Interlude p. 185
Assigned Text: William Shakespeare and the American People
Pages 33-42 of our Huck Finn text.
Online pre-discussion
By 5pm Monday, complete a brief online GriffinGate exercise that prepares you for Wednesday's class. (Read the text assigned for today first.)
In-class Activity: Writing Exercise
Assessing the Quality of Sources
Class Topic: Realism: Characterization
Paper 1: Peer Review
Complete a Turnitin.com exercise that asks you to read and respond to papers written by your peers.
In-class Activity: Analysis Exercise
Assigned Text: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
(Finish)
Assigned Text: How To Read Literature…
Chapters 6, 21
Assigned Text: How To Read Literature…
Chapters 11, 25
Online pre-discussion
By 5pm Monday, complete a brief online GriffinGate exercise that prepares you for Wednesday's class. (Read the text assigned for today first.)
Class Topic: The Gothic Literary Tradition
Paper 1: Revision
In-class Activity: Oral Interpretation Exercise
In small groups, we will read aloud from the readings, and practice recording our voices.
Assigned Text: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
Bierce, 1891
Assigned Text: The Yellow Wallpaper
Gilman, 1892
Assigned Text: The Black Cat
Poe, 1843
Assigned Text: Why I Wrote "The Yellow Wallpaper"
Gilman, 1913
Online pre-discussion
By 5pm Monday, complete a brief online GriffinGate exercise that prepares you for Wednesday's class. (Read the text assigned for today first.)
In-class Activity: Interpretive Podcast Workshop
Bring annotated texts (2-3 poems, OR 300-500 words from a prose passage) that explain and support your interpretation.
Class Topic: Poetry Slam
Paper 2: Annotated Bibliography
A list of sources for Paper 2. At least 6 sources, including at least 1 primary source, and at least 4 peer-reviewed academic sources. Full details TBA.
Ex 4: Oral Interpretation
Present about 5 minutes of poetry for the class (you don't need to memorize it) and share 1-2 pages of notes.
Assigned Text: TBA
(An academic article.)
Online pre-discussion
By 5pm Monday, complete a brief online GriffinGate exercise that prepares you for Wednesday's class. (Read the text assigned for today first.)
In-class Activity: Creative Presentation Workshop
Class Topic: Melodrama
Ex 5: Interpretive Podcast
A 6-minute audio recording, that includes about 3 minutes of you reading from literary works, and about 3 minutes of a literary argument. (We will go over the details well in advance.)
In-class Activity: Analysis Exercise
Assigned Text: Uncle Tom's Cabin
Aiken's popular dramatization of Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel.
Assigned Text: How To Read Literature…
Chapters 22-24
Assigned Text: TBA
(An argument that relies upon academic sources.)
Online pre-discussion
By 5pm Monday, complete a brief online GriffinGate exercise that prepares you for Wednesday's class. (Read the text assigned for today first.)
Class Topic: Paper Workshop & Consultations
Paper 2: Draft
Assigned Text: How To Read Literature…
Envoi (pp. 278-81)
Paper 2 Peer Review
News: Thanskgiving Break
Ex 5: Creative Critical Response
A presentation, using any medium or strategy, that demonstrates your ability to support an insightful, complex literary interpretation.
In the past, students have written their own fiction or poetry, that responds to the literary works we have studied. They have written and performed songs (in person and via YouTube). For example, Katie Lantz wrote a song and posted it to YouTube, synthesizing and commenting on the whole semester.
I'm completely open to whatever you want to try.
Recently, two students performed interpretive dances, wordlessly acting out key scenes from literary works. Rather than simply summarizing, they performed the same scenes in different ways, highlighting the different emotional possibilities within the text.
A shy student brought in a yellow piece of poster board, stood behind it, and delivered a monologue in the persona of the wall from The Yellow Wallpaper.
Be ambitious. Be interesting. Be surprising. Be interactive.
Evaluation Criteria
In the past, students have written their own fiction or poetry, that responds to the literary works we have studied. They have written and performed songs (in person and via YouTube). For example, Katie Lantz wrote a song and posted it to YouTube, synthesizing and commenting on the whole semester.
I'm completely open to whatever you want to try.
Recently, two students performed interpretive dances, wordlessly acting out key scenes from literary works. Rather than simply summarizing, they performed the same scenes in different ways, highlighting the different emotional possibilities within the text.
A shy student brought in a yellow piece of poster board, stood behind it, and delivered a monologue in the persona of the wall from The Yellow Wallpaper.
Be ambitious. Be interesting. Be surprising. Be interactive.
Evaluation Criteria
- Length: Seven minutes. (I will cut you off at eight minutes. If you join with a classmate, you will share 15 minutes.)
- Goal Statement: One page, typed. What intellectual task are you trying to accomplish for your classmates, and how are your creative choices helping them to achieve that goal? (Hand it to me before you begin.)
- Ambition: where does your presentation show an element of calculated risk-taking.
- Interaction: how did you engage your peers, giving them the chance to participate in the experience?
Class Topic: Presentations and Exam Review
Optional: Submit a 3x5 index card of notes. (I will hand it back to you along with the exam. No other notes are permitted for the exam.)
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