SYLLABUS: ENGLISH 2240
African American Literature
Office Hours: Tuesday/ Thursday 4-6 p.m. and by appointment
My email: michaels@csmd.edu My office: FA 111
My phone: 301-934-2251 ext.7017 My FAX: 301-934-7682
To check for a school closing due to weather or emergency, call 301-369-1999
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Prerequisite: ENG
1020
We will study the works of
African-American authors from the mid-19th century until the present to examine
the life and culture of the descendants of African slaves as evidenced by their
literature. Such reading will include
material from a variety of genres, including poetry, fiction (both the novel
and shorter fiction) and criticism. This
course is designed to encourage awareness of the relationships between
historical and social events and the literary responses to such events. Students will respond to this exciting branch
of American literature by using their oral and written skills of critical
analysis.
These texts are available at the bookstore:
Harriet E. Wilson Our Nig; or , Sketches from the Life of a Free Black,
in a Two-Story White House, North (1859)
Frederick Douglass Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself (1845)
Ralph Ellison Invisible Man
(1956)
George Schuyler Black No More (1931)
Edward P. Jones
Lost in The City (2003)
Harriet Jacobs Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1861)
Handouts:
James Baldwin
“Sonny’s Blues” (1957)
Langston Hughes (various poems) Alain Locke “The New Negro”
SYLLABUS: ENGLISH
2240 (continued)
Upon completion of the course, a student should be able to do the following:
· Read college-level material
· Define or interpret unfamiliar words
· Adjust reading style to type of material
· Identify the main components and the supporting evidence
· Interpret inferentially as well as literally
· Write complete sentences, proofread and edit, punctuate, and spell in standard English
· Conceive ideas, select materials, and organize contents for a purpose
· Write a unified, coherent academic essay, correct in structure and mechanics, which supports a clear, limited thesis
· Plan for completion of both long-term and short-term assignments
· Accept constructive criticism and learn from it
· Recognize cultural diversity in others
· Accurately describe another’s point of view, even if it is different from one’s own
· Be familiar with the visual, literary, and musical arts and other forms of artistic and cultural expression.
1.
2. Participation in class discussions
3. Two 1,000 word typed essays
4. Two 400 word typed responses
5. Three quizzes
6. Two tests
7. An oral presentation
60% of the grade for this course
will be based on students’ ability to write typed essays that communicate
effectively. In addition to requirements
I will detail in the course, individual essays will be graded using the Standards
for College Papers
(http://www.frc.csmd.edu/lan/gradestandards.htm ).
You will receive a grade for each essay, for the three quizzes, the two tests, and the oral presentation,. Your final grade will be the average of the essays (50%), the short responses (10%), the three quizzes (15%), the two tests (20%), and the oral presentation (5%). The grade will be computed as follows:
90-100 = A 70-79 = C
80-89 = B 60-69= D
Failure to complete any
essay, quiz, or exam, or an average grade lower than 60 will result in failure
of the course.
There are no “extra credit”
opportunities in this college class.
SYLLABUS: ENGLISH
2240 (continued)
The instructor reserves the right to adjust a borderline grade to the next highest grade or down the next whole number based on a student’s overall performance in the class. For example, an 89.9 is still a “B” unless the instructor determines that it should be raised to an “A”
I will take attendance every class. You will lose one letter grade after the third absence. If you cannot attend class: (1) do not call me, my office, or my voice mail unless you will be missing two weeks of classes (2) do not, the next time you see me, explain why you missed class. You made a decision to miss class - a personal decision prompted by illness, car trouble, a court date, etc. Your personal life is none of my business (3) do contact another student in the class to find out what you missed (4) do make a copy of another student's handout (if any) or request one from me (5) do make an appointment to meet with me if, after discussing with another student, you are still unclear about the assignment. Students who need to arrive late or leave early should tell me on the day involved.
All assignments should be done on time. Any essay turned in late will lose one letter grade for each class meeting it is late.
All essays must be turned in.
The last day to withdraw from this class without penalty is April 15. If you stop coming to class without formally withdrawing, you will receive an “F.”
Tutors may be available through the Learning Assistance Department in LR 120. Please take your syllabus and any relevant information about the assignment with you. The tutors will be able to provide more effective help if they know the exact nature of your assignment. These tutors should serve as an audience to let you know if they understand your writing. They may give you ideas on revising papers to make them stronger, but they will not edit and rewrite your paper for you. Your writing is your responsibility. Of course, you are strongly encouraged to meet with your instructor to discuss your essays before they are due.
SYLLABUS: ENGLISH
2240 (continued)
To preserve a positive learning environment, visitors are not allowed in the classroom. This includes children or friends. More information on this college-wide policy is available in the Student Handbook.
PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Purchased or borrowed papers, papers with quotations with quotation marks, and papers with unidentified paraphrases are all examples of plagiarism. See “Student Code of Conduct” p. 52 of the Student Handbook.
WARNING Literature is a reflection of life, and some of the works we will read contain profanity and depictions of birth, violence, sexual behavior, and death. Students who prefer not to read such material should not take this course.
GOOD LUCK!!