English 2120:
Instructor: Dr. Jennifer Hall
Office: 2426 25 Park Place
Office Hours: T 12:30-1:30
Office Phone: 404.413.5878 or 404.413.5800
E-mail: jenniferhall@gsu.edu
Class Times: Group Meetings Tuesday 11:00-12:15 / Independent Work Thursdays
Class web site: Our class will use iCollege extensively.
Required Texts:
We will use a digital textbook. It is freely available in iCollege.
Prerequisite:
A grade of C or higher in English 1102 or equivalent. Students who have not completed this requirement will be asked to withdraw.
Overview
English 2120 is a survey of important works in British literature. Although gaining familiarity with all of the “important” works in British literature would be ideal, students should keep in mind that this survey is intended to introduce them to a wide variety of British literary works spanning vastly different time periods, with the ultimate goal of encouraging them to appreciate textual diversity and allowing them to make connections between works that would, on the surface, seem unrelated. In other words, English 2120 should not only teach you to appreciate works from different time periods and genres, but should also encourage the cultivation of analytical tools that you will need to become well-rounded readers.
This course is a hybrid course, which means that we meet as a group one day a week and work individually on the other. The day that we are not in class should not be considered a day off, but should instead be spent reading, researching, and writing. I will expect that when we meet, you will have a great deal to add to our discussions of the texts. If you are not a self-motivated student, you may want to consider whether a hybrid class is the right choice for you because this type of course can sometimes be difficult for those who aren’t prepared to take on the responsibility for learning the material on their own time. You will be expected to do a good deal of learning on your own. I will guide you, but often, you will be required to find your own way and report your findings.
Goals
General Outcomes –
General Outcomes for Literary Surveys –
At the end of the course, students will be able to
- identify and explain the fundamental features of the genres of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and drama
- define key literary terms/concepts and implement these in oral/written discussion as well as in literary interpretation
- describe, examine, and evaluate your own reading practices and oral/written critical analyses
- analyze literature and explain how various components of literature work together to create meaning.
- apply writing and revision as tools for understanding literature and its interpretation
Specific Outcome for 2120 –
- Upon completion of this course, students will
- recognize and describe British literary history as chronological, developmental (moving through time periods), and generic/thematic
- recognize and interpret relationships between British literature and its literary history and culture
Attendance Policy
Attendance is mandatory. This course is a hybrid course, so we will only meet one day a week. Meeting days will be lecture and discussion driven and will depend heavily upon student participation. Therefore, students are expected to attend regularly, to arrive on time, and to be prepared to discuss the day’s works. Students are not allowed to make up missed work either in class or online. If you know you will miss a class, you should contact me. It is your responsibility to ask about missed handouts, assignments or notes and to check the website as well as your student email account for any class updates.
Office Hours
Let’s meet! My office hours are by appointment, but that’s only to be more flexible. If you’d like to set up an appointment with me in person or online, email me to set up a time so we can talk. I’m happy to meet with you via FaceTime, if you can’t come to campus. I’m on campus most days, so if you would like to talk, just set up an appointment. I’m also available after class.
Academic Honesty
Plagiarism is not acceptable. The penalty for plagiarism is a zero for the assignment and possible failure of the course. Georgia State University defines plagiarism as follows:
“Plagiarism is presenting another person’s work as one’s own. Plagiarism includes any paraphrasing or summarizing of the works of another person without acknowledgment, including the submitting of another student’s work as one’s own. Plagiarism frequently involves a failure to acknowledge in the text, notes, or footnotes the quotation of the paragraphs, sentences, or even a few phrases written or spoken by someone else. The submission of research or completed papers or projects by someone else is plagiarism, as is the unacknowledged use of research sources gathered by someone else when that use is specifically forbidden by the faculty member. Failure to indicate the extent and nature of one’s reliance on other sources is also a form of plagiarism. Any work, in whole or in part, taken from the Internet or other computer-based resource without properly referencing the source (for example, the URL) is considered plagiarism. A complete reference is required in order that all parties may locate and view the original source. Finally, there may be forms of plagiarism that are unique to an individual discipline or course, examples of which should be provided in advance by the faculty member. The student is responsible for understanding the legitimate use of sources, the appropriate ways of acknowledging academic, scholarly or creative indebtedness, and the consequences of violating this responsibility.”
All work in this course will be submitted on iCollege which utilizes a plagiarism detection system called Turnitin. You should familiarize yourself with this program.
Electronic Communication:
Class information, assignments, and responses will be posted on our iCollege page: https://gsu.view.usg.edu
It is your responsibility to make sure that your work has been submitted, so be sure to check your postings before you log off.
I check email frequently, but I do not check it after 8:00 pm, so if you send me an email after 8:00 you should expect a reply in the morning.
Finally, be sure to check your student email and our class iCollege Page. I will post information for the class on the page, and I may email you over the course of the semester with information regarding our class.
Special Needs
Georgia State University complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students with disabilities who seek academic accommodations must first take appropriate documentation to the Office of Disability Services (http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwods/) located in Suite 230 of the New Student Center Students with special needs should then make an appointment with me during the first week of class to discuss any accommodations that need to be made.
Course Requirements
Assignments prepared outside the classroom must be typed and should comply with the MLA format (i.e. double-spaced / one inch margins / 12 point font).
Small Projects 40%
Students will choose 8 assignments from our “Short Assignments” list and complete them over the course of the semester. Each assignment must be of a different type, meaning students cannot complete the same short assignment 8 times, but must choose a different short assignment from the list each time. Short assignments are due on Thursdays by midnight and should be posted in iCollege, either in their entirely or via link. To receive full credit for completing a short assignment, you must review and respond to ONE of your classmates’ short assignments by the following Monday at noon.
Large Project 20%
Students will choose an assignment from the long projects list. Students must meet with me before they begin to discuss their plans for their project. Conferences will be scheduled in the weeks before the assignment is due. The Long Project is due on March 28th in iCollege.
Quizzes and Final Exam 30%
Students will complete 3 quizzes, one Prior Knowledge Quiz and one Post Knowledge Quiz, worth 15%. You will also complete a final exam, worth 15%. The final exam will be an online, cumulative exam that will include a short-answer section, a quotation identification section, and an essay component. The exam will be available on iCollege after the last day of class. It must be submitted on April 27th by midnight.
Daily Grades and Participation: 10%
During the course of the semester, students will respond weekly to course content on our discussion board. Students should review the short assignments for that week posted by their classmates on Friday, choose one, and write a one or two sentence comment responding to the work. These responses must be completed by Monday at noon. Students will also complete in-class work. In-class work and responses cannot be “made up,” so if you miss it, you miss it. Finally, this grade will take your participation into account. The participation portion of this grade is based on your presence in our discussions and your preparedness.
Assessment
Assessment is a fundamental component of any course. Assignments in this course will be assessed according to rubrics that will be provided to you with your assignments. I will also use pre-tests and post-tests to measure your growth over the course of the semester. If you have any questions about the assessments in this class, please ask. It’s important that you understand the feedback I am providing to you.
Class Calendar
Week 1
1/10: In Class: Introductions. “What is Literature” and Forms of Analysis.
1/12: Online: Read introduction to the Medieval Period in Chapter 1 in the textbook and the excerpt from “The Ecclesiastical History of the English People”. Prior Knowledge Quiz in iCollege by midnight.
Week 2
1/17: In Class: Discuss “Ecclesiastical History” and first short assignment.
1/19: Online: Marie de France “Lanval.” Submit 1st Short Assignment by midnight. (Don’t forget to respond by noon on Monday)
Week 3
1/24: In class: Discuss “Lanval” and Long project 1 handout.
1/26: Online: Read Chapter 2 “Introduction to Renaissance,” Section 3 “Renaissance Poetry,” Section 14 “Reading Poetry” and all poems in Renaissance Poetry section. Submit 2nd Short Assignment by Midnight. (Don’t forget to respond to a classmate by noon on Monday).
Week 4
1/31: In class: Discuss Renaissance period and Renaissance Poetry selections
2/2: Online: Read Section 4 “Renaissance Drama” and Merchant of Venice. Quiz 1 in iCollege by midnight.
Week 5
2/7: In Class: Discuss “Merchant of Venice”
2/9: Online: Read Chapter 3 “Introduction to Restoration and 18th Century” as well as Section 5 “Restoration and 18th Century Prose” and “Fantomina.”. Short Assignment 3 by midnight (Don’t forget to respond to a classmate by noon on Monday).
Week 6
2/14: In Class: Discuss “Fantomina” Begin Long Assignment Conferences. Continue through Week 8.
2/16: Online: Read introduction to Chapter 4 “Romanticism” and Section 7 “Romantic Period Poetry” as well as selections from William Blake. Short Assignment 4 by midnight. (Don’t forget to respond to a classmate by noon on Monday.)
Week 7
2/21: In Class: Discuss Romanticism and Blake.
2/23: Online: Read “Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” and take Quiz 2 in iCollege by midnight
Week 8
2/28: In Class: Discuss “Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” Last day to withdraw.
3/2: Online: Read Section 8 “Romanticism Prose” and excerpts from Vindication of the Rights of Woman and complete Short Assignment 5 by midnight (don’t forget to respond to a classmate by noon on Monday).
Week 9
3/7: In Class. Discuss excerpts from Vindication of the Rights of Woman.
3/9: Online: Read Chapter 5 introduction to Victorian Period and Section 9 “Victorian Prose” as well as “Scandal in Bohemia.” and complete Short Assignment 6 by midnight (don’t forget to respond to a classmate by noon on Monday).
Week 10
3/13-3/17: Spring Break
Week 11
3/21: In Class: Discuss “Scandal in Bohemia.”
3/23: Online: Read Section 10 “Victorian Poetry” and “Goblin Market,” “Porphyria’s Lover” and “My Last Duchess.’ and take Quiz 3 in iCollege by midnight.
Week 12
3/28: In class: Discuss “Goblin Market”. Long Assignment Due in iCollege.
3/30: Online: Read “Porphyria’s Lover” and “My Last Duchess” and complete Short Assignment 7 by midnight (don’t forget to respond to a classmate by noon on Monday).
Week 13
4/4: In Class: Discuss “Porphyria’s Lover” and “My Last Duchess.”
4/6: Online: Read Chapter 6 introduction to 20th Century and Section 11 “Modern Period” as well as “Araby” and Short Assignment 8 by midnight (don’t forget to respond to a classmate by noon on Monday).
Week 14
4/11: In Class: Discuss “Araby”
4/13: Online: Read Read Section 12 “Post-Colonial Literature” and “The Day they Burned the Books.”
Week 15
4/18: In class: Discuss “The Day They Burned the Books” and final exam.
4/20: Online: Submit Post Knowledge Quiz in iCollege by midnight.
Week 16:
4/27: Final Exam due online by Thursday April 27th by midnight
This syllabus reflects a plan for the semester. Deviations may be necessary. Students will be notified in advance of any changes.
Jennifer Hall, PhD 