English 112 – English
Composition, section 003,
Class Date, Time and Place: MWF, 9:00-9:50,
Houston 231
Your Instructor: Dr. Julie Barak
Office Phone: 248-1072
Office: LHH 452
Office Hours: MWF
E-mail: [email protected]
My Home Page:
http://www.mesastate.edu/~jbarak
Syllabus subject to change. Changes will be announced in class.
Course
Goals: To examine, discuss, and
practice composing various styles and modes of writing in order to develop the
confidence, independence, and skills necessary to tackle virtually any writing
task assigned in any college class. In particular, this will include learning
to read, think and write critically about literature and other types of texts;
discovering the steps in the research process and applying those steps in our
own writing; analyzing, summarizing, paraphrasing, quoting and citing source
material without plagiarizing; eliminating distracting mechanical errors, developing
an awareness of various citation styles, including, but not limited to, MLA.
State-wide General Education
Requirements: This course has been accepted by the
The following have been chosen from the list of
General Education Objectives shown in its entirety in the Mesa State College
Catalog:
OBJECTIVE 1—Students will be able to think
critically and recognize issues across a broad spectrum of subjects.
OBJECTIVE 2—Students will be able to communicate
effectively in the English Language.
Course
Methods: Two things are important
about the course in terms of methods.
First of all, the course is designed as a writing workshop. That means
that we’ll spend most of our class time writing, reading, and talking about
writing and/or reading. We’ll write
about others’ writing, write about our own writing process, write about various
subjects, read our own writing out loud in large and small groups, read others’
writing, and discuss everything! Second,
I’ve chosen a topic to help us begin our reading/writing/conversing. That topic
is race/race relationships. In particular, we’ll be looking at race from a
postcolonial context. As we read and discuss the literature and the essays I’ve
selected for the class, research topics and projects should begin to develop
for you. We’ll spend time investigating how to turn these ideas into a
researched writing project.
Required
Texts:
|
Cesaire, Aime |
A Tempest |
TCG Translations |
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Graff and Birkenstein |
They Say, I
Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic
Writing |
Norton |
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Harris, Joseph |
Rewriting: How to Do Things with Texts |
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Kincheloe, Steinberg, Rodriguez and Chennault |
White
Reign: Deploying Whiteness in |
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Shakespeare, William Eds. Gerald Graff and James Phalan |
The
Tempest: A Case Study in Critical
Controversy |
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Conrad, Joseph Ed. Paul B. Armstrong |
Heart of
Darkness: A Norton Critical Edition, 4th Edition |
Norton |
Other
Expenses:
Occasional copies of your
own writing for large and small group discussion.
Course
Requirements:
1.
Four Papers: One essay on The Tempest (100 points), one on Heart of Darkness (150 points), one “transforming” essay (100
points) and one extended research paper that has its source in an idea, concept
or event in White Reign (250 points). More details about and explanation of these
assignments will follow.
2.
Various Assignments
Connected to Research Paper: a) thesis statement ( 25
points); b)bibliography ( 75 points); c) prospectus (75 points). More details about and explanation of these
assignments will follow.
3.
Attendance, Participation,
and Late Work:
In a workshop setting, your contributions to discussion are very
important. If you’re not here, you not
only can’t learn from what goes on, you also can’t share what you know. So, show up and speak up. Attendance is
required and points are lost when you don’t come to class. Every hour of class you miss,
costs you 6 points. In addition, not
doing the in-class assignments and homework or not bringing the requested work
to class, can cost you up to 20 points per assignment, depending on the
assignment. If you don’t miss any class time, you’ll receive 18
bonus points at the end of the semester which you can apply to any other grade
you’ve received for the class.
Policies and
Procedures:
1. Academic Honesty: Refer to the Student Handbook for college policies
on Academic Honesty. You are cautioned a) against using, word for word, without
acknowledgment, phrases, sentences, paragraphs, etc. from the printed or manuscript
material of others; b) against using with only slight changes the materials of
others; and c) against using the general plan, the main headings, or a
rewritten form of someone else’s material. These cautions apply to the work of
other students as well as to the published work of professional writers. (Department of English,
2. Students w/ Disabilities: In
coordination with Educational Access Services, reasonable accommodations will
be provided for qualified students with disabilities. Please meet with the instructor the first
week of class to make arrangements.
Educational Access Services can be contacted at 248-1856, or in person
in Houston Hall, Room 100.
Points and
Grades:
Tempest Essay 100
points
Heart of Darkness Essay 150 points
Transformation Essay 100
points
Research Essay 250
points
Research Question 25 points
Prospectus 75 points
Bibliography 75 points
Class Participation and Attendance 225
points
A = 900-1000 points, B = 800-899 points, C = 700-799
points, D = 600-699 points F = below 600
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Week |
Date |
Activity |
Assignment |
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1 |
Aug 18 |
Introductions |
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20 |
Small groups: a. Come up with 3 questions about the film. Everybody write them down. b. Remix. c.
Share your
questions with your new group. d. Work to answer them. Share some of what you
discovered with the rest of us. |
Read Acts 1-3 of The Tempest |
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22 |
Divide into four
groups. Discuss the following
questions. a.
Compare the
plot to murder Prospero to the plot to murder Alonso. Shakespeare clearly
intended one murder plot to mirror the other. What does each group of
conspirators have in common? How important are social status and rank in
evaluating these two murder plots? b.
How does
Prospero’s magic differ from that of the witch, Sycorax? c.
Discuss Gonzalo’s ideas of the
ideal society. Why do you think that
utopian dreams are destined to fail?
Does Prospero fail as a ruler because of his idealism? d.
Analyze
Prospero’s motives. What does he want
from his “enemies?” Is Prospero a
“good” man? Does he change during the
course of the play? e.
Traditionally,
Shakespeare uses poetry for noble characters and prose for the lower class.
Caliban, however, uses both poetry and prose. Discuss why he shifts between
poetry and prose and under what circumstances. What does this reveal about
this character? How does this shape
our response to him? f.
Create and
discuss one of your own questions as a group that brings in the political
issues about the play that you read about last night. (Some of these questions
were stolen or adapted from Cliffsnotes: http://www.cliffsnotes.com/
WileyCDA/LitNote/The-Tempest-Study-Help-Essay-Questions.id-130,pageNum-57.html)
|
Read Acts 4-5 of The Tempest |
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2 |
25 |
Read and respond to essays
in class. |
Read 93-115 from The Tempest. Read Chapter One of Graff
and Berkenstein. Write a short (2-3) page
response to either Will and Greenblatt
or the Traditional/Postcolonial Professors debates. Begin with one template from Chapter One of
Graff and Berkenstein. Post to the K: Drive and bring me a hard copy. |
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27 |
a. Review Outline Format b. Form
groups. Each group should produce a sentence outline of
one of the essays. c. Share these outlines with the class. |
Read Brower 183-202 Read Barker and Hulme 229-245 Read Willis 256-268 |
|
|
29 |
· Review
Harris: a. Define the project in your own terms b. Make a list of key words or passages c.
Assess the uses
and limits of this approach ·
Go back to your
groups and work with the same essay to perform these same three tasks. ·
Share with the
class. ·
One more time
back to the groups. What’s the
difference in these two different “ways of reading?” Which one is more useful? Which one is more difficult? |
Read chapter one of Harris |
|
3 |
Sept 1 |
Summarizing PPT |
Read chapter 2 of Graff and
Berkenstein |
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3 |
Responding PPT |
Read chapters 3 and 4 of
Graff and Berkenstein |
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5 |
Meet in the Language Lab –
Houston 203 Tools for supporting your
response: a. one group define illustrating b. one group define authorizing and borrowing c.
one group
define extending d. Each group should please find an example of this
technique in Ehrenreich’s piece on page 50. e.
Each group
should compose a paragraph in which they employ their technique in a response
to The Tempest. Begin your paragraph with a template
from G and B. f.
Share your
definitions and paragraphs. |
Read chapter two of Harris |
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4 |
8 |
Citing sources IN your
paper: a. Sandwich PPT b. Handout Works Cited Page – See
handout. |
Begin reading Heart of Darkness |
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10 |
Workshop 1st
essay. |
Continue reading Heart of Darkness Draft of Essay #1 due |
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12 |
Small group questions: a. Some critics believe that in Heart
of Darkness Conrad illustrates how “the darkness of the landscape can
lead to the darkness of social corruption.” What does this statement mean?
How can one’s environment affect one’s actions, feelings, and morals? Is this
statement believable or not? Have you ever experienced a change in yourself
that resulted from a change in your environment? What kind of change was it? b. Heart of Darkness seems to blur the line between
the so-called “advanced” society of c.
In Heart of Darkness, Kurtz is depicted as an
upstanding European who has been transformed by his time in the jungle—away
from his home, away from familiar people and food, and away from any
community moral support that might have helped prevent him from becoming such
a tyrant. There was nothing and no one, in essence, to keep him on the
straight and narrow. Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? Was
there ever a time in which you felt alone, in a strange environment, or
different from everyone else around you? How did that experience affect you
or change you? Did you find yourself pulled toward base, cruel instincts as
Kurtz was? What did you do to cope with those feelings? d. Kurtz’s dying words are a cryptic
whisper: “The horror, the horror.” What “horror” could Kurtz have been
talking about? Is there more than one possibility? Why do you think Conrad
made this scene so ambiguous? e.
Some readers claim that Heart of Darkness is
strictly a political novella. Others, however, say it’s really a story about
the human condition. What does Heart of
Darkness imply about the politics of colonization? What does it imply about the human
condition? Can a work of fiction be interpreted in different ways? Should
readers consider the author’s intent when analyzing a story? In the case of this novella, which reading
seems most valid to you? f.
Heart of Darkness can sometimes seem to readers
like an incredibly dark, depressing story that paints civilizations in a very
negative light. Did it seem this way to you, or did the story contain any
positive moments? If so, what were they? Why did they seem positive? g.
Share group responses/discussion Source for the questions above : http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/heartofdarkness/ |
Essay #1 due Finish Heart of Darkness |
|
5 |
15 |
a. In small groups, using outline techniques we learned
last week, produce an outline of one of the essays. b. In addition, come up with 3 questions about the
novel that the critic you’re working with has answered. c.
Share outline
and questions/answers with the class. |
Read Chinua Achebe, p.
336-349. Read Hunt Hawkins, p.
365-375. |
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17 |
See above. |
Read Edward W. Said, p. 422-429. Read J. Hillis
Miller, p. 463-474. |
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19 |
Meet in the Language Lab –
Houston 203 a. In your small groups, go back to the essays you
worked with the past two days and find examples in which the critic argues
the other side, uncovers values and/or dissents. b. As a group, find a spot in which you disagree with
the critic you’re working with.
Construct a paragraph that articulates your point of view and use a
Graff and Birkenstein template to plant the critic as a naysayer in your
paragraph. c.
Share. |
Read Chapter 3 of Harris. Read Chapter 6 of Graff and
Berkenstein |
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6 |
22 |
Position Paper PPT |
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6 |
24 |
Introductions/Conclusions |
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26 |
a. Review
chapter two of Harris – See above b. Working with the Conrad’s novel and the critics
we’ve read, construct a paragraph in which you employ each of the four
techniques Harris describes in this chapter.
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Post Intros to K: |
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7 |
29 |
Counterargument PPT a.
Choose one of
Harris’s techniques from chapter 3.
Reread Harris’s examples. Write
your own counterargument using one of these examples as a model. Try to stick as closely to the model,
stylistically, as you can. b.
For
example: Here’s paragraph from Estrada: When
I was a kid living in Here’s an imitation by Barak: When
I was a teenager living in Here’s a paragraph from Steven King: I
think that we’re all mentally ill; those of us outside the asylums only hide
it a little better – and maybe not all that much better, after all. We’ve all known people who talk to
themselves, people who sometimes squinch their
faces into horrible grimaces when they believe no one is watching, people who
have some hysterical fear – of snakes, the dark, the tight place, the long
drop. . . and, of course, those final worms and grubs that are waiting so
patiently underground. Here’s an imitation by Barak: I
think that we’re all religious, those of us outside organized religions only
hide it a little better – and maybe not all that much better after all. There
are so many ways the idea of God finds its way into our vernacular, that it’s
almost impossible to talk without acknowledging his existence. “Oh my God!” is a standard exclamation in
our culture. To say things like “I’m
praying for help or rain or money or whatever, is a common way implying that
you’re hopeful about a certain outcome.
“God damn it!” is an everyday kind of curse. It’s very difficult not to lay in the dark
and implore the aid of some greater being.
And, of course, it’s difficult for even the most dedicated atheist to
accept the idea of entirely ceasing to be, eternal non-existence. |
Reread chapter 3 of Harris |
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Oct 01 |
Workshop essay #2 |
Draft of Essay #2 due |
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3 |
Meet in the Language Lab –
Houston 203 Mid term evaluation. |
Essay #2 due |
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8 |
6 |
PPT on Imitation |
Read Cesaire – 1st
half |
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8 |
Discussion/In-class writing
time |
Finish Cesaire |
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10 |
Share essays |
Essay #3 due |
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9 |
13 |
Fall Break |
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15 |
In small groups a.
Summarize the
article by describing its project, listing and defining its key terms and
assessing its uses and limits. b.
Compose 2 or 3
questions for discussion c.
List 7 or 8
topics that would be good for research d.
Share |
Read Kincheloe and
Steinberg from White Reign 3-29 Read Rains 77-99 |
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17 |
See above |
Read Chennault 299-328 Read Nicholson 193-212 |
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10 |
29 |
See above |
Read Brents
and Monson 213-227 Read Allison 231-243 |
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22 |
Modes of Writing PPT
Share. |
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24 |
Library |
Start collecting and
reading |
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11 |
27 |
From Topics to Questions
PPT a.
Generate
questions. b.
Share lists. c.
Thesis
Statement – Handout. d.
Try to compose
an arguable thesis statement that forecasts the organization of your paper. |
Collect and read |
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29 |
Titles PPT |
Collect and read |
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31 |
Meet in the Language Lab –
Houston 203 Bibliography Practice |
Collect and read |
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12 |
Nov 3 |
Thesis Statement Workshop a. What’s the topic? b. What’s the angle? c.
Is this an
interesting angle or argument? Why or
why not? If not, how could the writer
shift the angle to make it arguable?
Interesting? d. Does the thesis include the pronoun “I”? How could the writer revise to get rid of
that pronoun? e.
Does the thesis
provide a map for the paper? Make an
outline of the paper based on the thesis.
If you can’t make this map, make some suggestions to the writer about
how the thesis might be revised or developed to produce a map. f.
Return thesis
statements and feedback to writers. |
Thesis Statement Due |
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5 |
Thesis Statement Workshop See above. |
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7 |
Bibliography Workshop a.
Are there 10
sources? b.
Are the sources
listed alphabetically? c.
Are the items
formatted with a hanging indent? d.
Is all the
information required by MLA included in the citation? |
Bibliography Due |
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13 |
10 |
Prospectus PPT Sharing |
Read Graff and Berkenstein
chapters 7 and 10 |
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12 |
Prospectus Workshop a.
Point to the
Graff and Berkenstein template in each paragraph. b.
Is the writer’s
Who Cares? paragraph persuasive? c.
Does the writer
explain why it matters adequately or do you still have questions about the
importance of his/her topic? d.
How well does
the writer lay out the roadmap of the paper in the final paragraph? |
Prospectus Due |
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14 |
Meet in the Language Lab –
Houston 203 Prospectus Workshop – See
above. |
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14 |
17 |
a. Define each of these “terms” or behaviors:
Acknowledging Influences, Turning an Approach on Itself, Reflexivity b. Look at
Graff’s essay, “Hidden Intellectualism.”
Discuss how and where he employs each of these techniques in this
essay. c.
Share d. Look through your sources; think about what you’ve
read so far. Write about how you could
use each of these activities to expand your essay. Be sure to reference specific
articles/authors for each. e.
Work on writing
one of these sections of your essay. f.
Share. |
Read Harris 79-97 Read Graff and Berkenstein
142-148 |
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19 |
Draft workshops Each group reads and
discusses 2 papers. You have about 20
minutes to deal with each one. Mark up
only two copies of the essay – one for me and one for the writer. Write up
only one response to each essay, but make two copies. The instructions in bold below indicate
your tasks. a. What is the writer’s project? What does the writer want to accomplish in
this essay? (Define the project in
your own terms. Make a list of key
words or passages. Assess the uses and
limits of this approach) Either write an abstract of the piece (p.
110) or produce a sentence outline (p. 112) b.
What works in
this draft? How could the writer build
on the strengths of this draft? (Where
could the writer illustrate, authorize, borrow or extend elements of the text
to make it better?) Draw a straight line under passages that
strike you as especially strong and a wavy line under passages that leave you
asking questions or that feel undeveloped.
If a passage is left unmarked, indicate why in the margin. Should it be cut? Why or why not? If
you’ve drawn a straight line under a passage, describe what you liked about
it. Why was it especially interesting,
provoking, well-argued, nicely illustrated, etc. c.
What else might
be said? How could the writer
acknowledge other views and possibilities?
(Where could the writer argue the other side, uncover values and/or
dissent?) Suggest one or two ways in which the author
might develop, extend, qualify, or rethink the project of her or his
essay. (This is not the moment to
offer advice on editing, proofing, or other more local matters of style and
correctness.) List three or four specific points where you think the author
might do the sort of work in revision that you’ve suggested. If you’ve drawn a wavy line in part B,
above, indicate what you think the writer needs to do with the text to
address your suggestions. d.
What’s
next? What are the implications of
what the writer has to say? (Does the
writer Acknowledge Influences, Turn an Approach on Itself, Practice
Reflexivity? Where are there opportunities for these behaviors in the
text?) What is the import of the issue under discussion? What do you, as the reader, know that you
didn’t know before, think you should do that you hadn’t thought of doing
before, feel that you hadn’t felt before? How do you answer the questions, “So what?”
and “What’s next?” about topic/argument of this essay? |
Read the responses your
peers wrote to you. After thinking
about these responses, write a response that describes which comments from
your readers are the most useful in rethinking your essay, lay out the plan
for the next draft of the essay. What
will you go back to in order to address these comments? What will you say next? Where will it go from here? Bring this response with
you to your conference next week. |
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21 |
Draft Workshops – See above |
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15 |
24 |
Draft Workshops – See
above. |
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26 |
Thanksgiving Break |
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28 |
Thanksgiving Break |
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16 |
Dec 1 |
Conferences |
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3 |
Conferences |
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5 |
Conferences |
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17 |
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Final |
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