Syllabus for British Lit 2323

British Literature 2323
Syllabus

Text | Course Description | Responsibilities and Grades

Text
The book for this course is Abrams, M. H. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Vol. 2. 8th Edition.

Course Description
As will be seen from the table of contents, this course surveys English literature from the end of the 18th Century to the present.

The objectives of this course are the following:

To increase your knowledge and appreciation of British literature and British culture;
To increase your analytical writing skills; and
To increase your research skills, including the use of the Internet.

Student Responsibilities and Grades
Your responsibilities, then, may be summarized as follows.

A. Readings You should read the selections in the text as presented in READINGS. After reading an assigned selection and the introduction to it in the text, you might wish to investigate the pertinent resources available on the World Wide Web. Note: This course is not about surfing the Web; it is about reading literary texts, discussing them and writing about them. There are, however, Web sites dedicated to literary study in general and the elucidation of texts in particular, and several of these sites will enhance your understanding of the texts you will be reading.

B. Responses to Weekly Questions (20% of grade) You are required to participate in on-line discussions.

At minimum, you should respond to the discussion questions posted by the instructor.
In addition, you may submit a question or questions that occur to you as you read the assigned selection(s).
Send your response(s) in by midnight of the due date.
Remember that your responses are to be sent to ENGL2323@accd.edu

No late responses to the weekly questions will be accepted.

C. Term Paper (20% of grade)

Topics must be approved by the instructor.
Papers should be at least 1,000 words (approximately 5 pages) in length.
Paper should be submitted via U.S. Mail, e-mail attachment, or FAX to the instructor.
Writing must conform to the conventions of Standard American English.
In-text (parenthetical) and Works Cited documentation should conform to the Modern Language Association (MLA) format.
At least three secondary sources are required.
Students are required to keep a copy of each paper.
No late assignments will be accepted.
Due date for documented essay: Wednesday, 4/15/09.

The Essay Itself: Choose a work from our text by an author who was not assigned in class. If you choose a prose work, it should be at least 10 pages long; if you select a poem, it should be at least 50 lines long. Write about theme, character, and/or style. Write to someone who knows the work and asks you a question about it. The paper should not be a general overview of the work, a plot summary, or a biography of the author. For additional help, see Here.

D. Two Examinations (60%) There will be a midterm exam (30%) and a final exam (30%) covering the assigned text readings. Each exam will consist of essay questions and items to identify. No late exams will be accepted.

For departmental information on course objectives and outcomes, see Here.