American Literature I

HILL COLLEGE                                           ENGL 2327.W01                                            Spring 2022


Instructor

Frances Burt, M.A.

Phone

817-760-5894

Email

fburt@hillcollege.edu

Office Location

JCC Admin. Bldg, #130

Office Hours

Mon. & Wed.

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm

 

Tues. & Thurs.

11 am – noon

 

Other times available by appointment.

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Course Description

A survey of American literature from the period of exploration and settlement through the Civil War. Students will study works of prose, poetry, drama, and fiction in relation to their historical and cultural contexts. Texts will be selected from among a diverse group of authors for what they reflect and reveal about the evolving American experience and character.

The course is intended to acquaint students with the writings and writers of Early America. The student should gain experience in expressing ideas in well organized, clearly defined prose, as well as in the analysis of literature.  American Literature I will satisfy degree requirements for Hill College and for transfer credit to senior institutions.

Required Text

Norton Anthology of American Literature: Volumes A and B. 9th Edition. Edited by Robert Levine, W. W. Norton and Company, 2017.

    

Objectives/Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

1. Identify key ideas, representative authors and works, significant historical or cultural events, and characteristic perspectives or attitudes expressed in the literature of different periods or regions.

2. Analyze literary works as expressions of individual or communal values within the social, political, cultural, or religious contexts of different literary periods.

3. Demonstrate knowledge of the development of characteristic forms or styles of expression during different historical periods or in different regions.

4. Articulate the aesthetic principles that guide the scope and variety of works in the arts and humanities.

5. Write research-based critical papers about the assigned readings in clear and grammatically correct prose, using various critical approaches to literature.

 

 

Contact & Communication Information

Email and voicemail messages will be responded to within 24-hours on weekdays. Messages sent on weekends will be returned by the end of Monday.

Students are expected to communicate professionally, using Schoology messaging or their Hill College email addresses. I will not respond to personal email addresses with any private information such as grades.

Class Policies

  • No make-ups for assignments, quizzes, or exams. (See exceptions for school events below.) Daily work or assignments cannot be turned in late or made up.
  • Major essays will be accepted late. The late essay policy: 10 points per day, maximum of three days. After three days, the essay will not be accepted. Arriving to turn in the essay more than15 minutes after class begins will be counted as 1 day late.
  • Plagiarism or Academic Dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. The inclusion of uncited material, whether quoted or paraphrased, will result in the grade of a zero.
  • We are a community of learners who will listen to one another, acknowledge each other, and respect one another. We will not all agree; we will all get along. Be polite to others on any interaction activities such as peer review of writing. Our class will be a safe space for all learners, no matter what.
  • Students absent for school events must request, in advance, any exception to the tardy, late work, make-up work, or other stated policies. Documentation from a coach or school administrator may be required. These exceptions must be requested in advance, and students will be responsible for making up all work by the deadline assigned by the instructor.
  • If you are having trouble with the pace, material, expectations, personal matters, or anything else relevant, please communicate with me as soon as the trouble starts. I will work with you to create a plan for success.

Disabilities/ADA

Reports of discrimination based on disability may be directed to the ADA/Section 504 coordinator.  The College District designates the following person to coordinate its efforts to comply with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, which incorporates and expands the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended:

Name: Lizza Trenkle

Position: Vice President Student Services

Address: 112 Lamar Drive, Hillsboro, TX  76645

Telephone: (254) 659-7601

Students with qualified and documented disabilities may request accommodations which will enable them to participate in and benefit from educational programs and activities.  Students should contact the Academic Advising and Student Success Center for more details at: 254-659-7650 for Hillsboro, 817-760-5650 for Cleburne, or 817-295-7392 for Burleson.

 

Title IX

Reports of discrimination based on sex, including sexual harassment or gender-based harassment, may be directed to the Title IX Coordinator.  The College District designates the following person to coordinate its efforts to comply with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended:

Name: Jamie Jaska

Position: Director of Human Resources

Address:       112 Lamar Drive, Hillsboro, TX  76645

Telephone:   (254) 659-7731

MLA Formatting

All your written work that includes quotes, paraphrases, summary or source information should include internal citations and a Works Cited list. You are expected to use MLA format for all citations.

All essays and longer assignments should be formatted according to MLA 8 guidelines.

Grading

Grading Categories and Percent of Overall Course Grade              

  1. Regular assignments, quizzes, discussion, and writings             25%
  2. Exam 1: Beginnings and Puritanism                                        10%
  3. Exam 2: American Enlightenment                                           10%
  4. Exam 3: Romanticism                                                             10%
  5. *Poetry Analysis or Short Story Analysis (Highest Score)         10%
  6. Researched Literary Analysis Paper                                         15%
  7. Final exam                                                                             20%

*I’m taking the highest essay score of these two essay assignments. It is acceptable to choose to do only one of these essays.

 

Letter grades for the course will be based on the following percentages:

90-100%         A

80-89%           B

70-79%           C

60-69%           D

Below 60%     F

 

 

 

  • Syllabus and Calendar

    While focused on a reorder icon, press the Enter key or spacebar to "select" the icon. While a reorder icon is selected, pressing the up and down arrows will change the order of the selected item within the list. Pressing Enter key or spacebar again will drop the selected item at that location in the list.
While focused on a reorder icon, press the Enter key or spacebar to "select" the icon. While a reorder icon is selected, pressing the up and down arrows will change the order of the selected item within the list. Pressing Enter key or spacebar again will drop the selected item at that location in the list.
There are no Readings for this portlet.