English 202 Spring 2012 syllabus
Johnson Syllabus p. 1 of 8
ENGH 202-008
Spring 2012
Section S08: MW 1:30-2:45, Nguyen Engineering Bldg. 1109
Texts and Contexts
crime and punishment Ted Bundy photo from “15 Most Disturbing, Vicious and Evil Serial Killers.” Smashing Lists. Smashinglists, n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2012.
Contacting the Professor Professor: Twila G. Johnson Office: Robinson A417 Finding my office: My office cannot be seen from the Robinson A hallway. Enter through the main Robinson A entrance across from the Johnson Center. At the top of the fourth floor stairwell, keep going straight down the long hallway. About halfway down the hallway, enter the English department wing. My office is directly in front of you. Office Hours: Mon. and Wed. 12:30-2:30, or by appointment E-mail: [email protected] Note: To protect your privacy, please e-mail me only from your GMU account. .
“Squeeze human nature into the straitjacket of criminal justice and crime will appear.” -Karl Kraus
Course Overview
This course invites you to invest your imagination, critical thinking skills, and unique life perspectives to engage with literature beyond highlighter pens and Internet study guides. To bring a text to life, you need to abandon notions of “right” or “wrong” interpretations. You should dare to express your ideas as you microscopically examine the power of one word or collectively analyze the context surrounding literature and film. In addition to practical instruction in vocabulary and analysis, this course emphasizes interactive, lively discussion informed by your valuable contributions. Just as profiling, collective review of a scene, analysis of events, and providing solid evidence to back up conclusions are vital to criminal investigation, so, too, is the journey into investigating literature and film through careful reading, clear writing, critical analysis, and looking at contextual influences. This interactive approach encourages you to confidently interpret the world around you and envision ways to change it.
Course Content This course will include discussions about crime fiction and nonfiction. Be aware that popular television shows such as Criminal Minds and CSI do not thoroughly reflect the savagery of certain crimes, but our texts will. You will encounter graphic violence and sexual situations, visually and textually, in the course materials. Please honestly assess your background, sensitivity, and reactions to these issues, and keep your mental health at the forefront of your decision to take this course.
Required Texts
ENGLISH 202 LEARNING GOAL Explore correlations of a text with social, political, historical,and cultural contexts
Johnson Syllabus p. 2 of 8
Class Participation - 18 percent of your grade In-Class Participation - 10 percent In-Class Participation: Because a substantial portion of our work occurs in
class, it is essential that you are present and actively engaged each day. This means doing the assigned readings before class, coming to class prepared, bringing your text and homework, participating in discussions and activities in a meaningful way, asking questions (which is just as important as answering them), and remaining open to new ideas and viewpoints. You are welcome to disagree with me or your classmates during class discussion; just make sure your comments are intellectual rather than personal, conversational rather than confrontational. Participation Point System: During each regular class session, you can receive up to one positive point (for being prepared for and actively participating in class in a way that moves the discussion forward with meaningful contributions) and as low as one negative point (for being disruptive, texting, or sleeping). Tardiness: Although I recognize that sometimes circumstances beyond your control might make you late, I will not tolerate regular tardiness. Thus, I reserve the right to award you zero participation points when you are late to class, regardless of your participation after you arrive. I also reserve the right to give you zero participation points if you leave early. Three tardies = one absence You have two free absences to use throughout the semester, which I recommend you save for genuine emergencies; all other absences result in a zero.
Online Discussion Board Participation - 8 percent Since the class is so large, the discussion boards are intended to be a meaningful supplement and furthering in-class discussion. You should read the discussion posts on Coursekit weekly, be familiar with the conversations occurring there, and reference those conversations as relevant during class discussion. Discussion of each text and film ends a few days after we finish a text, but you can certainly reference older texts in your discussion of new ones. Meet the average requirements for discussion of a text and film by contributing at least two different posts offered several hours apart so that you’re letting the conversation unfold and responding to it. You can participate in multiple threads. Your posts can pose a question and offer preliminary thoughts on a topic, further a discussion that was truncated in class, offer a new take on a question or point covered in class, or respond thoughtfully to a classmate's ideas or to question threads that I start. You should not merely rehash what was covered in class or agree or disagree with another student; every post that you contribute should offer something new. A meaningful post will be at least several sentences long; show careful thinking and clarity of expression; be relevant to an ongoing discussion or start what is clearly a new topic (in other words, show familiarity with and comprehension of the conversations happening on the board); and directly reference, examine or connect to the text being discussed. To earn above average grades for this component of your course grade, exceed the minimum expectations. I will give you feedback on your first series of posts so that you know how well you’re meeting the expectations. I will grade the discussion board participation two times in the semester. See the Calendar in Coursekit for deadlines. Fight Club photo from “ Best Movies of All Time.” MakeFive. smashLAB, 2009. Web. 12 Jan. 2012. ENGLISH 202 LEARNING GOAL Read for comprehension, detail, and nuance.
Johnson Syllabus p. 3 of 8
Main Assignments and Exams - 82 percent of your grade Assignment
Weight
Description and Submission Criteria
Three 30-minute scheduled quizzes and regular unannounced quizzes
15%
Quizzes take place at the beginning of class. No makeup quizzes allowed. I will drop your lowest quiz grade.
Contextual Presentation (Group)
12%
You will give an interactive Contextual Presentation that provides outside information on topics explored in your text. Groups must submit their idea one week before the presentation and a formal report 48 hours before the presentation. No makeup presentations allowed.
Two analytical responses at 15% each
30%
Analytical responses must be done for the texts only, not the films. You will write two analytical responses (~3 pages each) that focus on one particular idea or aspect of the text and demonstrate reflection and analysis rather than unfocused feelings or responses. Print and bring to class. You may revise one of your responses after I grade it, but you must consult with me first. Analytical responses are due by the last day that the class discusses your chosen text. Note: There are calendar cutoff dates for the first response, second response, and revisions.
Final Exam
25%
Short answer and interpretive essay questions
You are not allowed to submit more than one major assignment on a class day (analytical response, contextual presentation, or revision). This is to discipline you to pace your deadlines. Grading Criteria: “A" grades (90-100%) are assigned for exceptional work that demonstrates superior understanding of all concepts, thoroughness and sophistication in interpretation and style, and mastery of technical forms and language. An “A” paper is outstanding in that it is thought-provoking and thoroughly explores or proves a complex idea or insight. "B" grades (80-89%) indicate above average understanding and mastery of the material as well as clear, thoughtful, and correct written presentation. A “B” paper is a good, solid (not merely satisfactory) college-level paper in both content and technical merit that stays focused on a single, insightful (non plot-level) idea but needs more complex analysis, additional evidence or idea development, and/or improved technical proficiency. "C" grades (70-79%) are assigned for work that demonstrates an adequate mastery of the material and competent written presentation and style. A “C” paper is an average, satisfactory college-level paper in both content and technical merit that does at least one of the following: has but strays from a single idea, is based on a borderline plot-level observation, does not thoroughly prove the point being made, or does not meet the reader’s needs. It may have notable stylistic or mechanical errors. "D" grades (60-69%) are assigned for less than satisfactory analysis and poorly presented written work. A “D” paper does not engage in analysis/is primarily plot summary, is not fully developed and/or is not thesis-driven. It represents minimally passing college-level work. “F” grades (59% & below) are assigned for unacceptable college-level work, demonstrating inadequate levels of understanding and written proficiency, or the work fails to fulfill the assignment requirements. ENGLISH 202 LEARNING GOAL Learn annotation and critical thinking skills to enhance your reading experience
Grading & Policies
Johnson Syllabus p. 4 of 8
Access Your Grades on www.jupitergrades.com
After your initial grades are entered, I will send you a hyperlink to privately access your grade. You will need to create a password. When you review your grades, you may see only a total course grade. Click on that to see the grade breakdown.
Grading Scale: A=94-100; A-=90-93; B+=87-89, B =84-86; B-=80-83; C+=77-79; C=74-76; C-=70-73; D=60-69; F=59 or below .
Image from Jupiter Grades. Jupiter, 2011. Web. 12 Jan. 2012. Image of Chuck Palahniuk from Partridge, Steve. “Mr. Chuck Palahniuk.” Different Scene. Fat Cupid Media, 2011. Web. 12 Jan. 2012. Image of Truman Capote from Stephen. “Born on This Day.” Post Apocalyptic Bohemian. Google, 2012. Web. 12 Jan. 2012. Image of Noomi Rapace from Bradshaw, Peter. “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.” The Guardian. The Guardian News and Media, Limited, 11 Mar. 2010. Web. 12 Jan. 2012.
Submission Policies
Chuck Palahniuk
Print your assignments and bring them to class. I won’t accept any other forms of submission. Analytical Responses are due no later than the last day the class discusses your chosen text. All essays should be formatted in a standard 11-12 pt. font. Place your name, Professor Johnson, the course, and date in the upper left corner of the first page (no title page) with your last name and page numbers on subsequent pages. Staple your work. Consulted sources must be properly cited in MLA format. You are not required to attach a Works Cited page for analytical responses if you use the same text edition that I assigned, but you must still have proper in-text citations with page numbers. Use the guidelines found at OWL Purdue: http:// owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/ 747/01/
Revision & Extra Help
Truman Capote
Revision is a crucial part of the writing process, so you are encouraged to revise—not edit—one of your analytical responses, but you must first consult with me about your revision. You aren’t guaranteed a higher grade, but you’ll never get a lower one. If the revision grade is higher, I usually average the two grades but reserve the right to skew your revision score towards the new grade. Your original response essay, with my comments, must be submitted with your revision. If you’re struggling with your writing, group presentations, or the course material, come see me! This is a large class, so don’t disappear. I care about you and your progress in the course. E-mail me, and we can work together to ensure your success.
Late Work & Extensions
Noomi Rapace
In-class work, presentations, quizzes, and the final cannot be made up. I drop your lowest quiz grade. Late work receives a zero. School is very stressful, and so is life. Pushing yourself to get your work done on time develops your ability to multitask and handle stresses in the future. It instills confidence and helps you avoid the stress and depression generated by falling behind. Thus, I don’t readily give out extensions unless it is an extreme emergency or documented illness on physician/nurse practioner letterhead. (Semester stress and a high workload do not apply here. Everyone experiences this.) Please contact me beforehand to make arrangements with me. I reserve the right to apply a late penalty if you don’t contact me in a timely manner.
I do not extend extra credit to individual students because this wouldn’t be fair to your classmates. ENGLISH 202 LEARNING GOAL Compare and contrast fictional vs. nonfictional approaches to the course theme
University Policies and Assistance
Johnson Syllabus p. 5 of 8
This course is part of the GMU General Education Program, which is designed to help students prepare for advanced work in their major field and for a lifetime of learning. For more information on the mission of the General Education Program, consult the University Catalog or visit www.gmu.edu/departments/provost/gened/.
All essays with sources must be properly cited, or I will consider them plagiarized. Don’t miss an incredible opportunity to search internship and job databases (most are paid positions), find out about job fairs, get feedback on your resume, and transition to the career that you love! The GMU Career Services Center is a free resource that will rescue you from the anonymity of online resume posting and classified ads. Visit the Career Services Center at http:// careers.gmu.edu/.
GMU Career Fair: Wednesday, February 22 and Thursday, February 23, 11:00 am - 4:00 pm, JC, Dewberry Hall
The GMU Writing Center is a free service that provides personal tutoring for any paper at any stage, at any level, either in person or online. To schedule an appointment, visit http://writingcenter.gmu.edu. The Fairfax campus has two Writing Center locations: Robinson A114 and Enterprise 040.
If I recognize that you have grammatical or sentence structure issues that could impair your progress, I will recommend to you that you visit the Writing Center.
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Students with Disabilities: Students with documented disabilities are legally entitled to certain accommodations in the classroom. If you need disability accommodations, please notify me the first week of class and contact with the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at 703-993-2474.!All academic accommodations must be arranged through ODS.
Counseling and Study Skills Services: The Counseling and Psychological Services center at GMU (CAPS) offers free counseling and workshops to help students cope with the stress of academic life. The Counseling Center has programs for a wide variety of situations: from dealing with depression and smoking to learning better study skills and avoiding procrastination. Visit SUB I Room 364 to pick up a booklet detailing the sessions offered. Emergency same-day appointments are available. Visit http:// caps.gmu.edu for more information. ENGLISH 202 LEARNING GOAL Analyze texts to discover how literary language and devices contribute meaning
English Department Policy and Assistance
Johnson Syllabus p. 6 of 8
Plagiarism Plagiarism means using the exact words, opinions, or factual information from another source without giving that source credit. Writers give credit through the use of accepted documentation styles, such as parenthetical citations, footnotes, or end notes; a simple listing of books, articles, and websites is not sufficient. This class will include direct instruction in strategies for handling sources as part of our curriculum. However, students in composition classes must also take responsibility for understanding and practicing the basic principles listed below. Credit: Wesley Bedrosian
How to Avoid Plagiarism To avoid plagiarism, meet the expectations of a US academic audience, give their readers a chance to investigate the issue further, and make credible arguments, writers must •
put quotation marks around, and give an in-text citation for, any sentences or distinctive phrases (even very short, 2- or 3-word phrases) that writers copy directly from any outside source: a book, a textbook, an article, a website, a newspaper, a song, a baseball card, an interview, an encyclopedia, a CD, a movie, etc.
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completely rewrite—not just switch out a few words—any information they find in a separate source and wish to summarize or paraphrase for their readers, and also give an in-text citation for that paraphrased information
•
give an in-text citation for any facts, statistics, or opinions which the writers learned from outside sources (or which they just happen to know) and which are not considered “common knowledge” in the target audience (this may require new research to locate a credible outside source to cite)
•
give a new in-text citation for each element of information—that is, do not rely on a single citation at the end of a paragraph, because that is not usually sufficient to inform a reader clearly of how much of the paragraph comes from an outside source.
Writers must also include a Works Cited or References list at the end of their essay, providing full bibliographic information for every source cited in their essay. While different disciplines may have slightly different citation styles, and different instructors may emphasize different levels of citation for different assignments, writers should always begin with these conservative practices unless they are expressly told otherwise. Writers who follow these steps carefully will almost certainly avoid plagiarism. If writers ever have questions about a citation practice, they should ask their instructor. Instructors in the Composition Program support the George Mason Honor Code (http://honorcode.gmu.edu), which requires them to report any suspected instances of plagiarism to the Honor Council. All judgments about plagiarism are made after careful review by the Honor Council, which may issue penalties ranging from grade-deductions to course failure to expulsion from GMU. Plagiarism robs you of your opportunity to develop and carefully articulate your ideas and interact with the text on your own. Therefore, all work submitted for this class must contain your original words and ideas, not that of theorists or other sources, unless otherwise specified. To be clear, you can reference and use contextual material, but you should not read, consult or cite resources that provide analysis of our texts or their components. Do not submit essays from any other class, including high school. Wesley Bedrosian’s image appeared in Bochicchio, Kim. “Beat the Cheat: Teaching Students (and Parents) It’s Not OK to Copy.” Edutopia. The George Lucas Educational Foundation, 2011. Web. 10 Aug. 2011. ENGLISH 202 LEARNING GOAL Apply your unique insights to a text or film without looking at Internet sources
What to do if you miss class:
Johnson Syllabus p. 7 of 8
1. Contact a classmate for information about what you missed.
Absences
2. Do all the assigned readings for that day. 3. Submit all assignments on time. I do not accept late work. 4. Contact me at [email protected] with any further questions and/or if your classmate contact never responded to you.
In-class writing, activities, and quizzes cannot be made up if you are absent.
What NOT to do if you miss class: 1. E-mail an instructor and ask, “What did I miss?” or “Did I miss anything important?” A 75-minute class with activities cannot be recreated in person or online. 2. Miss a few weeks of classes without contacting the instructor about a crisis, illness, or event you had scheduled. 3. Expect that you can make up the bulk of the coursework by declaring an Incomplete.
Classmate’s Contact Information Name: __________________________________________ Major: ________________________ E-mail most often used: _____________________________ Phone: (optional): ________________ What is the best time to call?___________________________Do you live on campus? ____________
Classmate’s Contact Information Name: __________________________________________ Major: ________________________ E-mail most often used: _____________________________ Phone: (optional): ________________ What is the best time to call?___________________________Do you live on campus? ____________
Important University Dates First day of classes; last day to submit Domicile Reclassification Application; Payment Due Date
Jan. 23
Last day to drop with no tuition penalty
Jan. 31
Last day to add classes
Jan. 31
Selective Withdrawal Period (undergraduate students only)
Feb. 27-Mar. 30
Spring Break
Mar. 12-18
Incomplete work from Fall 2011 due to instructor
Mar. 30
Last day of classes
Mar. 5
Reading Days
May 7-8
Exam Period (beginning at 7:30 a.m.)
May 9-16
Final Exam for this class
May 9, 1:30-4:15
ENGLISH 202 LEARNING GOAL Write critical papers that support an argument about the text rather than the plot
Johnson Syllabus p. 8 of 8
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The Rules of Lit Class
Lit Clas s 1st RULE: You do not text in lit class. 2nd RULE: You DO NOT text in lit class. 3rd RULE: Silence and put all electronics away for the entire class: no laptops, iPads, Kindles, or phones. 4th RULE: Late work will receive a zero. In-class activities and quizzes cannot be made up. I will drop your lowest quiz grade. 5th RULE: One speaker at a time. 6th RULE: Treat each other with respect. 7th RULE: Discussions will go on as long as they need to: in class and online. 8th RULE: If this is your first time taking my lit class, you HAVE to complete all the assignment requirements to pass lit class.
Course Schedule For a complete course schedule of readings, assignments, and exams, please visit the class Coursekit website. I will send you a passcode that will allow you to access the website. (I do not use Blackboard.) Coursekit directly connects to your GMU e-mail, so check your GMU e-mail frequently for class announcements, schedule changes, and discussion post updates.
ENGLISH 202 LEARNING GOAL See reading as engaging with the world
ENGH 202-008
Spring 2012
Section S08: MW 1:30-2:45, Nguyen Engineering Bldg. 1109
Texts and Contexts
crime and punishment Ted Bundy photo from “15 Most Disturbing, Vicious and Evil Serial Killers.” Smashing Lists. Smashinglists, n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2012.
Contacting the Professor Professor: Twila G. Johnson Office: Robinson A417 Finding my office: My office cannot be seen from the Robinson A hallway. Enter through the main Robinson A entrance across from the Johnson Center. At the top of the fourth floor stairwell, keep going straight down the long hallway. About halfway down the hallway, enter the English department wing. My office is directly in front of you. Office Hours: Mon. and Wed. 12:30-2:30, or by appointment E-mail: [email protected] Note: To protect your privacy, please e-mail me only from your GMU account. .
“Squeeze human nature into the straitjacket of criminal justice and crime will appear.” -Karl Kraus
Course Overview
This course invites you to invest your imagination, critical thinking skills, and unique life perspectives to engage with literature beyond highlighter pens and Internet study guides. To bring a text to life, you need to abandon notions of “right” or “wrong” interpretations. You should dare to express your ideas as you microscopically examine the power of one word or collectively analyze the context surrounding literature and film. In addition to practical instruction in vocabulary and analysis, this course emphasizes interactive, lively discussion informed by your valuable contributions. Just as profiling, collective review of a scene, analysis of events, and providing solid evidence to back up conclusions are vital to criminal investigation, so, too, is the journey into investigating literature and film through careful reading, clear writing, critical analysis, and looking at contextual influences. This interactive approach encourages you to confidently interpret the world around you and envision ways to change it.
Course Content This course will include discussions about crime fiction and nonfiction. Be aware that popular television shows such as Criminal Minds and CSI do not thoroughly reflect the savagery of certain crimes, but our texts will. You will encounter graphic violence and sexual situations, visually and textually, in the course materials. Please honestly assess your background, sensitivity, and reactions to these issues, and keep your mental health at the forefront of your decision to take this course.
Required Texts
ENGLISH 202 LEARNING GOAL Explore correlations of a text with social, political, historical,and cultural contexts
Johnson Syllabus p. 2 of 8
Class Participation - 18 percent of your grade In-Class Participation - 10 percent In-Class Participation: Because a substantial portion of our work occurs in
class, it is essential that you are present and actively engaged each day. This means doing the assigned readings before class, coming to class prepared, bringing your text and homework, participating in discussions and activities in a meaningful way, asking questions (which is just as important as answering them), and remaining open to new ideas and viewpoints. You are welcome to disagree with me or your classmates during class discussion; just make sure your comments are intellectual rather than personal, conversational rather than confrontational. Participation Point System: During each regular class session, you can receive up to one positive point (for being prepared for and actively participating in class in a way that moves the discussion forward with meaningful contributions) and as low as one negative point (for being disruptive, texting, or sleeping). Tardiness: Although I recognize that sometimes circumstances beyond your control might make you late, I will not tolerate regular tardiness. Thus, I reserve the right to award you zero participation points when you are late to class, regardless of your participation after you arrive. I also reserve the right to give you zero participation points if you leave early. Three tardies = one absence You have two free absences to use throughout the semester, which I recommend you save for genuine emergencies; all other absences result in a zero.
Online Discussion Board Participation - 8 percent Since the class is so large, the discussion boards are intended to be a meaningful supplement and furthering in-class discussion. You should read the discussion posts on Coursekit weekly, be familiar with the conversations occurring there, and reference those conversations as relevant during class discussion. Discussion of each text and film ends a few days after we finish a text, but you can certainly reference older texts in your discussion of new ones. Meet the average requirements for discussion of a text and film by contributing at least two different posts offered several hours apart so that you’re letting the conversation unfold and responding to it. You can participate in multiple threads. Your posts can pose a question and offer preliminary thoughts on a topic, further a discussion that was truncated in class, offer a new take on a question or point covered in class, or respond thoughtfully to a classmate's ideas or to question threads that I start. You should not merely rehash what was covered in class or agree or disagree with another student; every post that you contribute should offer something new. A meaningful post will be at least several sentences long; show careful thinking and clarity of expression; be relevant to an ongoing discussion or start what is clearly a new topic (in other words, show familiarity with and comprehension of the conversations happening on the board); and directly reference, examine or connect to the text being discussed. To earn above average grades for this component of your course grade, exceed the minimum expectations. I will give you feedback on your first series of posts so that you know how well you’re meeting the expectations. I will grade the discussion board participation two times in the semester. See the Calendar in Coursekit for deadlines. Fight Club photo from “ Best Movies of All Time.” MakeFive. smashLAB, 2009. Web. 12 Jan. 2012. ENGLISH 202 LEARNING GOAL Read for comprehension, detail, and nuance.
Johnson Syllabus p. 3 of 8
Main Assignments and Exams - 82 percent of your grade Assignment
Weight
Description and Submission Criteria
Three 30-minute scheduled quizzes and regular unannounced quizzes
15%
Quizzes take place at the beginning of class. No makeup quizzes allowed. I will drop your lowest quiz grade.
Contextual Presentation (Group)
12%
You will give an interactive Contextual Presentation that provides outside information on topics explored in your text. Groups must submit their idea one week before the presentation and a formal report 48 hours before the presentation. No makeup presentations allowed.
Two analytical responses at 15% each
30%
Analytical responses must be done for the texts only, not the films. You will write two analytical responses (~3 pages each) that focus on one particular idea or aspect of the text and demonstrate reflection and analysis rather than unfocused feelings or responses. Print and bring to class. You may revise one of your responses after I grade it, but you must consult with me first. Analytical responses are due by the last day that the class discusses your chosen text. Note: There are calendar cutoff dates for the first response, second response, and revisions.
Final Exam
25%
Short answer and interpretive essay questions
You are not allowed to submit more than one major assignment on a class day (analytical response, contextual presentation, or revision). This is to discipline you to pace your deadlines. Grading Criteria: “A" grades (90-100%) are assigned for exceptional work that demonstrates superior understanding of all concepts, thoroughness and sophistication in interpretation and style, and mastery of technical forms and language. An “A” paper is outstanding in that it is thought-provoking and thoroughly explores or proves a complex idea or insight. "B" grades (80-89%) indicate above average understanding and mastery of the material as well as clear, thoughtful, and correct written presentation. A “B” paper is a good, solid (not merely satisfactory) college-level paper in both content and technical merit that stays focused on a single, insightful (non plot-level) idea but needs more complex analysis, additional evidence or idea development, and/or improved technical proficiency. "C" grades (70-79%) are assigned for work that demonstrates an adequate mastery of the material and competent written presentation and style. A “C” paper is an average, satisfactory college-level paper in both content and technical merit that does at least one of the following: has but strays from a single idea, is based on a borderline plot-level observation, does not thoroughly prove the point being made, or does not meet the reader’s needs. It may have notable stylistic or mechanical errors. "D" grades (60-69%) are assigned for less than satisfactory analysis and poorly presented written work. A “D” paper does not engage in analysis/is primarily plot summary, is not fully developed and/or is not thesis-driven. It represents minimally passing college-level work. “F” grades (59% & below) are assigned for unacceptable college-level work, demonstrating inadequate levels of understanding and written proficiency, or the work fails to fulfill the assignment requirements. ENGLISH 202 LEARNING GOAL Learn annotation and critical thinking skills to enhance your reading experience
Grading & Policies
Johnson Syllabus p. 4 of 8
Access Your Grades on www.jupitergrades.com
After your initial grades are entered, I will send you a hyperlink to privately access your grade. You will need to create a password. When you review your grades, you may see only a total course grade. Click on that to see the grade breakdown.
Grading Scale: A=94-100; A-=90-93; B+=87-89, B =84-86; B-=80-83; C+=77-79; C=74-76; C-=70-73; D=60-69; F=59 or below .
Image from Jupiter Grades. Jupiter, 2011. Web. 12 Jan. 2012. Image of Chuck Palahniuk from Partridge, Steve. “Mr. Chuck Palahniuk.” Different Scene. Fat Cupid Media, 2011. Web. 12 Jan. 2012. Image of Truman Capote from Stephen. “Born on This Day.” Post Apocalyptic Bohemian. Google, 2012. Web. 12 Jan. 2012. Image of Noomi Rapace from Bradshaw, Peter. “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.” The Guardian. The Guardian News and Media, Limited, 11 Mar. 2010. Web. 12 Jan. 2012.
Submission Policies
Chuck Palahniuk
Print your assignments and bring them to class. I won’t accept any other forms of submission. Analytical Responses are due no later than the last day the class discusses your chosen text. All essays should be formatted in a standard 11-12 pt. font. Place your name, Professor Johnson, the course, and date in the upper left corner of the first page (no title page) with your last name and page numbers on subsequent pages. Staple your work. Consulted sources must be properly cited in MLA format. You are not required to attach a Works Cited page for analytical responses if you use the same text edition that I assigned, but you must still have proper in-text citations with page numbers. Use the guidelines found at OWL Purdue: http:// owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/ 747/01/
Revision & Extra Help
Truman Capote
Revision is a crucial part of the writing process, so you are encouraged to revise—not edit—one of your analytical responses, but you must first consult with me about your revision. You aren’t guaranteed a higher grade, but you’ll never get a lower one. If the revision grade is higher, I usually average the two grades but reserve the right to skew your revision score towards the new grade. Your original response essay, with my comments, must be submitted with your revision. If you’re struggling with your writing, group presentations, or the course material, come see me! This is a large class, so don’t disappear. I care about you and your progress in the course. E-mail me, and we can work together to ensure your success.
Late Work & Extensions
Noomi Rapace
In-class work, presentations, quizzes, and the final cannot be made up. I drop your lowest quiz grade. Late work receives a zero. School is very stressful, and so is life. Pushing yourself to get your work done on time develops your ability to multitask and handle stresses in the future. It instills confidence and helps you avoid the stress and depression generated by falling behind. Thus, I don’t readily give out extensions unless it is an extreme emergency or documented illness on physician/nurse practioner letterhead. (Semester stress and a high workload do not apply here. Everyone experiences this.) Please contact me beforehand to make arrangements with me. I reserve the right to apply a late penalty if you don’t contact me in a timely manner.
I do not extend extra credit to individual students because this wouldn’t be fair to your classmates. ENGLISH 202 LEARNING GOAL Compare and contrast fictional vs. nonfictional approaches to the course theme
University Policies and Assistance
Johnson Syllabus p. 5 of 8
This course is part of the GMU General Education Program, which is designed to help students prepare for advanced work in their major field and for a lifetime of learning. For more information on the mission of the General Education Program, consult the University Catalog or visit www.gmu.edu/departments/provost/gened/.
All essays with sources must be properly cited, or I will consider them plagiarized. Don’t miss an incredible opportunity to search internship and job databases (most are paid positions), find out about job fairs, get feedback on your resume, and transition to the career that you love! The GMU Career Services Center is a free resource that will rescue you from the anonymity of online resume posting and classified ads. Visit the Career Services Center at http:// careers.gmu.edu/.
GMU Career Fair: Wednesday, February 22 and Thursday, February 23, 11:00 am - 4:00 pm, JC, Dewberry Hall
The GMU Writing Center is a free service that provides personal tutoring for any paper at any stage, at any level, either in person or online. To schedule an appointment, visit http://writingcenter.gmu.edu. The Fairfax campus has two Writing Center locations: Robinson A114 and Enterprise 040.
If I recognize that you have grammatical or sentence structure issues that could impair your progress, I will recommend to you that you visit the Writing Center.
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Students with Disabilities: Students with documented disabilities are legally entitled to certain accommodations in the classroom. If you need disability accommodations, please notify me the first week of class and contact with the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at 703-993-2474.!All academic accommodations must be arranged through ODS.
Counseling and Study Skills Services: The Counseling and Psychological Services center at GMU (CAPS) offers free counseling and workshops to help students cope with the stress of academic life. The Counseling Center has programs for a wide variety of situations: from dealing with depression and smoking to learning better study skills and avoiding procrastination. Visit SUB I Room 364 to pick up a booklet detailing the sessions offered. Emergency same-day appointments are available. Visit http:// caps.gmu.edu for more information. ENGLISH 202 LEARNING GOAL Analyze texts to discover how literary language and devices contribute meaning
English Department Policy and Assistance
Johnson Syllabus p. 6 of 8
Plagiarism Plagiarism means using the exact words, opinions, or factual information from another source without giving that source credit. Writers give credit through the use of accepted documentation styles, such as parenthetical citations, footnotes, or end notes; a simple listing of books, articles, and websites is not sufficient. This class will include direct instruction in strategies for handling sources as part of our curriculum. However, students in composition classes must also take responsibility for understanding and practicing the basic principles listed below. Credit: Wesley Bedrosian
How to Avoid Plagiarism To avoid plagiarism, meet the expectations of a US academic audience, give their readers a chance to investigate the issue further, and make credible arguments, writers must •
put quotation marks around, and give an in-text citation for, any sentences or distinctive phrases (even very short, 2- or 3-word phrases) that writers copy directly from any outside source: a book, a textbook, an article, a website, a newspaper, a song, a baseball card, an interview, an encyclopedia, a CD, a movie, etc.
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completely rewrite—not just switch out a few words—any information they find in a separate source and wish to summarize or paraphrase for their readers, and also give an in-text citation for that paraphrased information
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give an in-text citation for any facts, statistics, or opinions which the writers learned from outside sources (or which they just happen to know) and which are not considered “common knowledge” in the target audience (this may require new research to locate a credible outside source to cite)
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give a new in-text citation for each element of information—that is, do not rely on a single citation at the end of a paragraph, because that is not usually sufficient to inform a reader clearly of how much of the paragraph comes from an outside source.
Writers must also include a Works Cited or References list at the end of their essay, providing full bibliographic information for every source cited in their essay. While different disciplines may have slightly different citation styles, and different instructors may emphasize different levels of citation for different assignments, writers should always begin with these conservative practices unless they are expressly told otherwise. Writers who follow these steps carefully will almost certainly avoid plagiarism. If writers ever have questions about a citation practice, they should ask their instructor. Instructors in the Composition Program support the George Mason Honor Code (http://honorcode.gmu.edu), which requires them to report any suspected instances of plagiarism to the Honor Council. All judgments about plagiarism are made after careful review by the Honor Council, which may issue penalties ranging from grade-deductions to course failure to expulsion from GMU. Plagiarism robs you of your opportunity to develop and carefully articulate your ideas and interact with the text on your own. Therefore, all work submitted for this class must contain your original words and ideas, not that of theorists or other sources, unless otherwise specified. To be clear, you can reference and use contextual material, but you should not read, consult or cite resources that provide analysis of our texts or their components. Do not submit essays from any other class, including high school. Wesley Bedrosian’s image appeared in Bochicchio, Kim. “Beat the Cheat: Teaching Students (and Parents) It’s Not OK to Copy.” Edutopia. The George Lucas Educational Foundation, 2011. Web. 10 Aug. 2011. ENGLISH 202 LEARNING GOAL Apply your unique insights to a text or film without looking at Internet sources
What to do if you miss class:
Johnson Syllabus p. 7 of 8
1. Contact a classmate for information about what you missed.
Absences
2. Do all the assigned readings for that day. 3. Submit all assignments on time. I do not accept late work. 4. Contact me at [email protected] with any further questions and/or if your classmate contact never responded to you.
In-class writing, activities, and quizzes cannot be made up if you are absent.
What NOT to do if you miss class: 1. E-mail an instructor and ask, “What did I miss?” or “Did I miss anything important?” A 75-minute class with activities cannot be recreated in person or online. 2. Miss a few weeks of classes without contacting the instructor about a crisis, illness, or event you had scheduled. 3. Expect that you can make up the bulk of the coursework by declaring an Incomplete.
Classmate’s Contact Information Name: __________________________________________ Major: ________________________ E-mail most often used: _____________________________ Phone: (optional): ________________ What is the best time to call?___________________________Do you live on campus? ____________
Classmate’s Contact Information Name: __________________________________________ Major: ________________________ E-mail most often used: _____________________________ Phone: (optional): ________________ What is the best time to call?___________________________Do you live on campus? ____________
Important University Dates First day of classes; last day to submit Domicile Reclassification Application; Payment Due Date
Jan. 23
Last day to drop with no tuition penalty
Jan. 31
Last day to add classes
Jan. 31
Selective Withdrawal Period (undergraduate students only)
Feb. 27-Mar. 30
Spring Break
Mar. 12-18
Incomplete work from Fall 2011 due to instructor
Mar. 30
Last day of classes
Mar. 5
Reading Days
May 7-8
Exam Period (beginning at 7:30 a.m.)
May 9-16
Final Exam for this class
May 9, 1:30-4:15
ENGLISH 202 LEARNING GOAL Write critical papers that support an argument about the text rather than the plot
Johnson Syllabus p. 8 of 8
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The Rules of Lit Class
Lit Clas s 1st RULE: You do not text in lit class. 2nd RULE: You DO NOT text in lit class. 3rd RULE: Silence and put all electronics away for the entire class: no laptops, iPads, Kindles, or phones. 4th RULE: Late work will receive a zero. In-class activities and quizzes cannot be made up. I will drop your lowest quiz grade. 5th RULE: One speaker at a time. 6th RULE: Treat each other with respect. 7th RULE: Discussions will go on as long as they need to: in class and online. 8th RULE: If this is your first time taking my lit class, you HAVE to complete all the assignment requirements to pass lit class.
Course Schedule For a complete course schedule of readings, assignments, and exams, please visit the class Coursekit website. I will send you a passcode that will allow you to access the website. (I do not use Blackboard.) Coursekit directly connects to your GMU e-mail, so check your GMU e-mail frequently for class announcements, schedule changes, and discussion post updates.
ENGLISH 202 LEARNING GOAL See reading as engaging with the world
