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UMUC-Europe Syllabus

Common Syllabus for ENGL303

Course Title:

Critical Approaches to Literature

Course Materials:

The following is a description of the books generally available for this course. Please see the section of this syllabus entitled Other Information for a list of the books selected by your instructor. General Information for English 303 textbooks: Required Text *Ann Dobie. Theory into Practice. Heinle; 2nd edition (c. 2009) Approved Novels (Instructors may choose two novels from the following list. Other selections may be chosen pending approval by the Academic Director). *Shelley. Frankenstein; Norton Critical Edition. ISBN: 0-393-96458-2 *Virginia Woolf. Mrs. Dalloway. ISBN: 0156628708 *Harriet Munro. Lives of Girls and Women. ISBN 375707472 *Mark Twain. Pudd'n head Wilson and Those Extraordinary Twins. ISBN: 0-393-95027-1 *Ernest Hemingway. The Sun Also Rises. ISBN: 0684800713 *Toni Morrison. Bluest Eye. ISBN: 452282195. Instructors may also choose to use one or both of the following anthologies. As an alternative to using anthologies, instructors may also choose to use drama and poetry which is available online. *Gwynn , R. S. Drama: A Pocket Anthology (Longman, 0-321-09175-2) *Vendler. Poems, Poets, and Poetry: An Introduction and Anthology; 2nd edition. Bedford St. Martin. ISBN: 0-312-25706-6

Course Description:

ENGL 303 Critical Approaches to Literature (3) (Fulfills the general education requirement in communications. Designed as a foundation for other upper-level literature courses.) Prerequisite: ENGL 101. A study of the techniques of literary analysis, emphasizing close reading of texts. The goal is to better understand and appreciate literature and to be able to formulate concepts and express them in well-written, coherent prose. Assignments include composing a total of 6,000 words (approximately 25 pages).

Course Goals/Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to: *Demonstrate the ability to locate resources and cite sources in the MLA form, manage quotations, and check the validity and credibility of online sources *Identify and apply various critical and theoretical approaches to a piece of literature *Discuss the role of the narrator in a piece of literature *Analyze the variety of structures that works of literature within the same genre can have *Read literature closely and critically *Create a strong thesis in order to write a well-structured and well-supported paper *Complete assignments which will satisfy the University's cross-curricular requirements in *Technology Fluency and Information Literacy

Course Introduction:

English 303, an intensive upper level writing course, also serves as the required foundation course for students seeking to complete a major or minor in English. The class materials and discussions are focused on literature and literary theory. Students will learn to locate and interpret the subtexts of drama, poetry, and the novel through close reading and the application of various critical theories. English 303 focuses as well on managing sources used in writing: avoiding plagiarism, locating and citing sources, using sources to support a claim, working with quotations, and creating works-cited entries according to the format used by the Modern Language Association (MLA). If you balk at reading a novel or don't know how to write a paper or work with sources, English 303 is designed to help you address these problems. By studying various pieces of literature and writing about them, you will be introduced to literary theory. If you are an English major, you more than likely enjoy reading, writing, and thinking about both what you have read and what you have written. Focused on a variety of genres, English 303 will provide you with the tools you will need to delve beneath the surface of both your own writing and that of published authors. Integral to the design and purpose of this class are specific materials and assignments that meet the cross-curricular requirements in Technology Fluency and Information Literacy. In order to successfully complete these required elements of this class, students must have internet access and the WebTycho materials developed for use with this course must be available as a class supplement. The course material is presented in the following four themes: Theme 1: Laying the Foundation for Reading and Writing About Literature. Theme 2: Reading and Analyze a Novel Theme 3: Reading and Analyze Poetry Theme 4: Reading and Analyze Drama

Grading Information and Criteria:

The grading scale, based on 100 points, is as follows: A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 59 and below Grading criteria are: Participation = 10% Library Research Project = 10% Annotated Bibliography = 10% Final Examination = 10% Three papers = 20% Total = 100%

Other Information:

Any other information the instructor wishes to add. This might include: * General expectations of students, such as hours per week students should expect to devote to the class * Turnaround time for faculty to respond to email and return papers * Unique class procedures or activities (such as cooperative learning exercises, panel presentations, case study methods, class journals or learning logs) * Supplemental objectives (such as development of skills like teamwork, writing, oral presentation; integration of knowledge on focus topics) * Optional activities such as study groups

Project Descriptions:

[Editable model assignments will be provided]

Academic Policies:

Cases of plagiarism are handled consistent with current UMUC guidelines. See the UMUC policies at the following URL: http://www.umuc.edu/policy/

Course Schedule:

Meeting 1 Introduction to course Readings from Dobie text Meeting 2 Readings from Dobie text Meeting 3 Begin novel Meeting 4 Continue Novel Readings from Dobie Meeting 5 Finish novel Essay #1 due Readings from Dobie Meeting 6 Begin reading poetry Readings from Dobie Meeting 7 Continue Poetry Readings from Dobie Meeting 8 Continue Poetry Readings from Dobie Meeting 9 Finish Poetry Essay #2 due Readings from Dobie Meeting 10 Begin Drama Readings from Dobie Meeting 11 Continue Drama Library Project and Annotated Bibliography Due Meeting 12 Continue Drama Readings from Dobie Meeting 13 Essay #3 due Readings from Dobie Meeting 14 Study for final Meeting 15 Final exam meeting