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Eng 261 Spring 19

Unit 1: 1865 – 1914

Week 1

Monday 1/14 Intro to American Lit 2 and Syllabus

Wednesday 1/16 Introduction 1865-1914

  • Read Intro 1-17

Week 2

Monday 1/21 MLK Jr. Day NO CLASS

Wednesday 1/23 Intro to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Week 3

Monday 1/28 Huck Finn Characters and Hero’s Journey

  • Read Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Chp. 20-31 JOURNAL 2

Wednesday 1/30 Library Day

  • Read Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Chp. 32-43 JOURNAL 3

Week 4

Monday 2/4 End of Huck Finn and “The Yellow Wallpaper”

Wednesday 2/6 Booker T. Washington and The Atlanta Exposition Address

Week 5

Monday 2/11 Du Bois and The Souls of Black Folk

Wednesday 2/13 Zitkala Sa and “The Soft-Hearted Sioux”

Unit 2: 1914 – 1945

Week 6 2/18 – 2/20

Monday NO CLASS

Wednesday Peer Review and Intro to Unit 2: 1914 – 1945

  • DUE Rough Draft 1
  • Read Introduction Unit 2: 1914-1945 (667-685)

Week 7 2/25 – 2/27

Monday Cather and The Sculptor’s Funeral

  • DUE Final Draft 1
  • Read Willa Cather (691)
    • The Sculptor’s Funeral 714 – 724 JOURNAL 6

Wednesday Robert Frost and “Directive”

  • Read Robert Frost (735)
    • The Road Not Taken 744
    • Directive 749

Week 8 3/4 – 3/6

Monday Sandburg and “Chicago”

  • Read Carl Sandburg (772)
    • Chicago (773)
    • Fog (774)

Wednesday Zora Neale Hurston

  • Read Zora Neale Hurston (948)
    • How It Feels to Be Colored Me (958) JOURNAL 7

SPRING BREAK

Week 9 3/18 – 3/20

Monday Jean Toomer and Cane

Wednesday Fitzgerald and Babylon Revisited

  • Read F. Scott Fitzgerald (973)
    • Babylon Revisited (991 – 1005)

Week 10 3/25 – 3/27

Monday Faulkner and Barn Burning

  • Read William Faulkner (1005)
    • “Barn Burning” (1015 – 1027)

Wednesday Langston Hughes Poems

  • Read Langston Hughes (1036)
    • “Mother to Son” (1037)
    • “I, to” (1038)
    • “Theme for English B” (1043)

Unit 3: Since 1945

Week 11 4/1 – 4/3

Monday American Identity Peer Review

  • DUE Rough Draft of American Identity essay
  • Read Intro to American Literature Since 1945 (1069)

Wednesday Intro to Am Literature since 1945

Week 12 4/8 – 4/10

Monday Kerouac and On the Road

  • Read Jack Kerouac

Wednesday Ellison and Invisible Man

  • Read Ralph Ellison
    • Invisible Man Chapter 1 (1210)

Week 13 4/15 – 4/17

Monday James Baldwin and Going to Meet the Man

  • Read James Baldwin
    • Going to Meet the Man (1331)

Wednesday O’Connor and A Good Man Is Hard to Find

  • Read Flannery O’Connor (1366)
    • A Good Man Is Hard to Find (1381)

Week 14 4/22 – 4/24

Monday Ginsberg and Howl

  • Read Allen Ginsberg (1392)
    • Howl (1394)

Wednesday Anzaldúa and “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”

  • Read Gloria Anzaldua (1557)
    • How to Tame a Wild Tongue (1558)

Week 15 4/29 – 5/1

Monday “Woman Hollering Creek” and La Llorona

  • Read Sandra Cisneros (1613)
    • Woman Hollering Creek (1614)

Wednesday Junot Diaz and “Drown”

  • Read Junot Diaz (1708)
    • Drown (1709)

Week 16 5/6 – 5/8

Monday Vonnegut and Slaughterhouse-Five

  • Read Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five, chapter 1

Wednesday Final Project

Week 17 5/13 – 5/15

Monday Peer Review

  • Rough Draft 3 DUE for Peer Review

Wednesday Exam Review

  • Presentations

Week 18 5/20 – 5/22

Monday Final Exam

  • Final Draft 4 DUE
  • Presentations

 

English 261: Survey of American Literature 2

Crafton Hills College – Spring 2019

Instructor: Sefferino Ramos

Class Time: 5:00-6:15 pm M/W

Classroom: West -215

 

 Email: sramos@craftonhills.edu

Text and Voicemail: 909-453-2953

Website: ProfessorRamos.blog

 

Course Description: Welcome to Survey of American Literature 2! An analysis of representative literary works by significant American writers since the Civil War through the present that includes the study of the historical and social context of the literature, and lives of important writers. The course is broken down into three units:

  1. 1865-1914
  2. 1914-1945
  3. 1945-Present

The unifying theme that we will be exploring is “The Problem of American Identity.” We cannot read everything in our anthology and the theme is meant to help you develop an understanding of what American literature is.

Course Objective: The objective of this course is to introduce you to the main works of American literature while also studying the main themes and writers of the period. This course covers some controversial topics and will require some careful navigation of political discourse. Your job will be to develop an understanding and appreciation for the time, themes, and literature. You will learn to identify, evaluate, and analyze the literature.

Student Learning Outcomes:

  1. Students will be able to identify, evaluate and analyze the works and authors in the Post-Civil War to WW1 (1865 – 1914).
  2. Students will be able to identify, evaluate and analyze the works and authors in the period between World War 1 and World War 2.
  3. Students will be able to identify, evaluate and analyze the works and authors in the period from World War 2 to Present.

Required Texts:

  • The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Vol. 2 Shorter Ninth Edition
  • Supplemental texts on Class Website

Course Requirements: This class requires your attendance and participation. While I am here to lecture and help facilitate discussion, it is up to you to participate in the class and keep up with the readings. I will be available through email and office hours, so please see me if you need anything pertaining to our class.

Assignments: This class requires three essays, reading journals, an author presentation, and a final exam.

Essays: The essays will be based on the readings from the textbook. Individual assignment sheets will be given for each essay.

Final Essay: The final essay will consist of both a comprehensive essay on the material we’ve read for the class and an oral presentation.

Reading Journals will be due at the beginning of class on the day we will discuss the reading. You may turn in a journal for either the readings scheduled on Monday or Wednesday. Journals will be 200-400 words in length, typed or legibly written, and use MLA format. 10 points each.

Author Presentation: You will present a 5 to 8-minute PowerPoint or blog post presentation on an author. The assignment sheet and signups will be handed out separately.

Grading:  In order to receive a passing grade (C or better) in the class, you must complete all the assigned work. There are 1000 points possible. You need 700 for a C, 800 for a B, and 900 for an A. You can earn up to 50 points extra credit.

Assignment Points My Points
Rough Draft 1 10
Peer Review 1 20
Essay 1 100
Rough Draft 2 15
Peer Review 2 20
Essay 2 150
Rough Draft 3 15
Peer Review 3 20
Essay 3 200
Reading Journals 150
Participation 100
Author Bio 100
Final Exam 100

Course Notes and Policies: Some adjustments might need to be made during the quarter. I reserve the right to change and add to the course calendar and syllabus.

Code of Conduct: We will be discussing controversial and adult oriented content in this course. You are all adults and are expected to conduct yourself accordingly in class and in all interactions with other students. Racist, sexist, bigoted, and hurtful language will not be tolerated and could get you removed from the course and/or reported to university authorities.

The sensitive nature of the material requires suspending judgment. We are not here to debate the past, but to gain an understanding of the events and the literature it produced. As such, you will be expected to come to class prepared and having read the material.

Plagiarism: Any work that you submit to me at any stage of the writing process -thesis and outline, draft, bibliography, etc., through final version -must be your own; in addition, any words, ideas, or data that you borrow from other people and include in your work must be properly cited. Failure to do either of these things is plagiarism. Accordingly, the college severely penalizes plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty.

Late Work: All assignments are due at the start of class on the designated dates. Please see me if you have any questions or need special accommodations. Since there are many more points available than required to pass the class, no late work will be accepted unless cleared by me ahead of time.

The Tutoring Center is a wonderful resource that is available to all students. I recommend that you make one appointment with a writing tutor at least once during the quarter. If you decide to have the session reported to me, you will receive 20 points. You can register and make appointments by visiting the tutoring center in the Learning Resource Center.

Electronic Devices: Research shows that students who have their phones on their desks, even if they do not use them, learn less. Please silence and put away your electronics and phones. If you require special accommodation, please see the contact the Disabled Student Services office at (909) 389-3325. You are all adults, behave accordingly.

Revision: If you are not happy with a grade you receive on an assignment, you may revise the essay within one week of receiving the grade. I do not like giving bad grades. If you turn in something that is below standard or missing something, I will make notes and give it back to you to revise.

ADA Compliance: If you are unable to participate fully in this class due to a disability that qualifies under the Americans with Disabilities Act, you should contact the Disabled Student Services office at (909) 389-3325.

Course Schedule

  • The following is the schedule of assignments for this class. The schedule of readings and assignments is subject to change based upon the needs of the class.
  • All readings and assignments are listed on the day they are due. Please come to class with all readings and assignments complete.