English 201 (Online) Types of Literature: The Short Story
CRN 12623
Fall 2008 – 3 semester credits
Instructor Information:
Anne Wilson Twite
Personal email: anne.twite@enmu.edu
Home phone: (575) 378-8304
Office Hours: Since this is an online course, I won’t have office hours per se; however, feel free to contact me via email or phone.
Rationale for student taking this course:
If a student is considering a career in
writing, education, or in the English field in particular, the reason for
studying literature is obvious: It must be studied so that it can be taught
and/or emulated. However, even if a student is not interested in these careers,
the rewards and insights gained by studying literature are numerous. Getting an
education is more than learning information and skills for a career. Studying
humanity’s rich literary record leads to an understanding of what it means to
be human and how literary traditions continue to influence contemporary
thought. By analyzing, interpreting, and discussing both literary masterpieces
and lesser known works, students can come to understand and embrace the roots
of social, philosophical, historical, cultural, and political diversity.
Course Description: An introduction to a literary genre. Subtitles vary by semesters. A. Short Story; B. Novel: C. Drama; D. Poetry; E. Science Fiction. If instructor consents, may be repeated for credit under different subtitle. Designed primarily for non-majors.
Note: This semester, English 201 is being offered as a Short Story class.
Are you ready for an online course? If you’re not sure, please read
this article: http://www.loc.gov/catworkshop/cct/ready.html
Texts and Required Materials:
1. Textbook: New Sudden
Fiction, edited by Robert Shapard and James Thomas, published by W. W.
Norton & Company, ISBN-10: 0-393-32801-5 (or ISBN-13:
978-0-393-32801-1).
Textbooks are
available from the ENMU-Ruidoso Bookstore located at
Expected student outcomes or competencies (Goals & Objectives):
Upon successful completion of this course, students should:
1) demonstrate knowledge of literary terms used in the analysis and discussion of short fiction
2) have sharpened critical reading and writing skills by analyzing and interpreting a variety of short fiction works
3) demonstrate familiarity with a variety of short fiction works and their authors
4) be able to plan and write a literary analysis essay which meets MLA standards
5) be able to effectively exchange ideas about and participate in discussions of short fiction works
Pre-requisites for the course: English 102 (or equivalent) or consent of instructor.
Integration of critical skills: Class discussions, reading, writing, and quizzes are designed to give students opportunities to practice and perform in each of the five critical skills areas: critical thinking, writing, computer use, public speaking, and group work.
Course grading policy: This course will be graded on a point system with 1800 points possible as outlined below. Availability dates and deadlines are shown in several places: Syllabus, Assignments page, and Calendar. When a deadline has passed, it is too late to turn in an assignment, so keep tabs on when your assignments and essays are due and when quizzes are available!
600 points Postings to Discussion Area topics:
60 topics @ 10 points each
200 points *Two Response Essays @ 100 points each
200 points *Two Quizzes @ 100 points each
1000 points possible
* Both essays must be turned in and both quizzes must be
taken in order to be eligible to receive a passing grade for the course.
Grades will be assigned according to the standard grading scale:
A 90-100%
B 80-89%
C 70-79%
D 60-69%
F 59% or less
Discussion Area Grading: When I assess discussion points, I’ll be looking for two meaningful posts per student per discussion topic, one in response to my original posting and one in response to another student. Your discussion postings should enhance and further discussion; avoid simplistic postings, such as “I agree” or “I don’t know.” Discussions will be active for one week (noon on Monday to noon on Monday); after that, the discussion area will be locked and points assessed.
Response Essay Grading: Detailed Response Essay Requirements can be found in the Course Handouts area. Essays are worth 100 points according to the following standardized ENMU Ruidoso Language Arts Department Essay Grading rubric:
10 points Format (font, length, title, heading, margins, header, citations, etc.)
10 points Introduction (clear thesis & introductory summary)
10 points Support & Development (Clear topic sentences, transitions, organization)
10 points Conclusion (restates thesis, sense of finality)
10 points Sentence sophistication and variety
20 points Sentence structure (no fragments, illogical or mixed constructions, run-ons)
30 points Grammar (correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, usage)
Quiz Grading: Quizzes will be taken online. Make sure you understand the concepts of Availability and Duration (discussed on the Start Here page). Each Quiz will be available for one week, but if you miss a Quiz, you will not be allowed to take it late. If you go beyond the duration limit (one hour), you will not be allowed to submit more answers. You cannot stop a quiz once you have started it, so make sure you are ready before you start! Each quiz will be worth 100 points and will consist of multiple choice items covering the material up to the date of the quiz.
In the Quizzes area you will find a documents called “Preparing for Quiz One” and “Preparing for Quiz Two,” which will help you to prepare for the quizzes. The material covered on a quiz may or may not be directly addressed in discussions, but regardless, you are responsible to know it. Each quiz may be taken twice and the highest score will be recorded in the grade book. Quiz results will be available after you have taken the quiz. (After taking the quiz one time, go back and see which items you missed so that you can do better the second time if you choose to retake the quiz; however, the questions on your second attempt will not be exactly the same as on your first attempt.)
Attendance: Attendance in an online course should be approached the
same as you would a face-to-face class. Plan to be an active participant in
course discussions. In the event you will be unable to complete the course,
contact Student Services to officially withdraw from the course. The last day to withdraw with a grade of “W” is Oct 31.
Plagiarism: The student handbook defines plagiarism as:
1. Offering the work of another as one's own;
2. Offering the work of another without acknowledgment;
3. Failing to give credit for quotations or essentially identical expressions of material taken from books, encyclopedias, magazines, other reference works, term papers, reports, or sources of any other individual.
I submit student writing to a plagiarism detection site called “Turnitin.com” If plagiarism is detected, you will get a zero for the plagiarized assignment. If plagiarism is detected a second time, you will receive an F for the course. L If you are unsure of the definition of plagiarism or how it will be handled, please contact me.
Americans with Disabilities Act: If you have physical or learning needs that require accommodation, contact your instructor or Juanita Garcia, Student Services Coordinator (257-2120) at the beginning of the semester. All efforts will be made to accommodate these needs or to provide equipment necessary to accomplish the requirements for this course. Discussions and documentation will be kept confidential.
Internet Resources: The companion website to the course is: http://www2.wwnorton.com/litweb. Some of the weekly reading assignments can be found at this website. This website also features a glossary of terms, workshops, and online quizzes that you may find useful.
Important Calendar Dates:
August 20 (W) Instruction begins
August 22 (F) Drop/Add Deadline for Fall I (first eight-week courses)
Sept 19 (F) Last Day to Withdraw from this course with a grade of “W”
Oct 14 (T) Last day of Fall I
Oct 15 (W) Second Eight-week courses begin (Fall II)
Course Overview:
|
Date |
New Sudden Fiction |
Additional
|
Active
Discussions |
Essays
& Quizzes |
|
Week 1 August 20-25 |
Stories 1-8 (8) |
“Analyzing a Short Story” |
Introductions & D1 |
|
|
Week 2 Aug 25-Sept 1 |
Stories 9-15 (7) |
“Writing to Interpret Literature” |
D2 |
|
|
Week 3 Sept 1-8 |
Stories 16-23 (8) |
Paraphrase, Summary, Description |
D3 |
|
|
Week 4 Sept 8-15 |
Stories 24-30 (7) |
The Elements of the Essay |
D4 |
Quiz 1: Short Fiction Terms |
|
Friday, Sept 19 |
Last Day to Withdraw |
|
|
|
|
Week 5 Sept 15-22 |
Stories 31-37 (7) |
The Writing Process |
D5 |
Essay 1 Due |
|
Week 6 Sept 22-29 |
Stories 38-45 (8) |
|
D6 |
|
|
Week 7 Sept 29-Oct 6 |
Stories 46-52 (7) |
|
D7 |
Quiz 2: Writ-ing About Literature |
|
Week 8 Oct 6-13 |
Stories 53-60 (8) |
|
D8 |
Essay 2 Due |
Detailed Course Schedule:
Week One – Aug 20-25
Read the Start Here page
Read the Syllabus
Get familiar
with the text & companion web site (http://www2.wwnorton.com/litweb )
Email me (through
course email) your alternate email address and any concerns you have
Read “Analyzing
a Short Story” (In the Handouts area of the course)
Read the first
eight short-short stories:
“Other Persons,”
Juan José Millás, pg 21
“A History of
Everything, Including You,” Jenny Hollowell, pg 25
“The Raft,”
Peter Orner, pg 29
“The Red Fox
Fur Coat,” Teolinda Gersão, pg 34
“Loving the
Dead,” Ronald F. Durrie, Jr., pg 40
“Powder,”
Tobias Wolff, pg 47
“Water Names,”
Lan Samantha Chang, pg 52
“Berlin Wall
Piece,” Sam Shepard, pg 57
Week Two – Aug 25-Sept 1
Read “Writing
to Interpret Literature” (In the Handouts area of the course)
Read the next
seven short-short stories:
“The Rememberer,”
Aimee Bender, pg 63
“Homage,”
Nadine Gordimer, pg 68
“Tomorrow’s
Bird,” Ian Frazier, pg 73
“The Palmist,”
Andrew Lam, pg 78
“Blood,”
Zdravka Evtimova, pg 85
“Objects in the
Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear,” Joyce Carol Oates
“Footnote,”
Romulus Linney, pg 95
Week Three – Sept 1-8
Read
“Paraphrase, Summary, Description” (First topic under “Writing About
Literature”
http://www2.wwnorton.com/college/english/litweb05/writing/welcome.asp
)
Read the next
eight short-short stories:
“We Ate the
Children Last,” Yann Martel, pg 101
“My Lawrence,”
Claudia Smith, pg 105
“Feeling Good,
Feeling Fine,” George Garrett, pg 111
“
“Ma, A Memoir,”
Lynn Freed, pg 122
“Essential
Things,” Jorge Luis Arzola, pg 127
“Seven Pieces
of Severance,” Robert Olen Butler, pg 131
“The Wine
Doctor,” Frederick Adolf Paola, pg 137
Week Four – Sept 8-15
Read “The
Elements of the Essay” (Second topic under “Writing About Literature”
http://www2.wwnorton.com/college/english/litweb05/writing/welcome.asp
)
Read the next
seven short-short stories:
“In Reference
to Your Recent Communication,” Tessa Brown, pg 142
“Following the
Notes,” Pia Z. Gerhardt, pg 150
“The Minimalist,”
Stacey Richter, pg 153
“I Shot the
Sheriff,” Touré, pg 159
“Before the
Train and After,” Katherin Nolte, pg 164
“Rosa Blanca,”
Barry Gifford, pg 171
“The Puppies,”
Dean Paschal, pg 177
Take Quiz One
(Deadline Sept 15, noon)
Week Five – Sept 15-22
Read “The
Writing Process” (Third topic under “Writing About Literature”
http://www2.wwnorton.com/college/english/litweb05/writing/welcome.asp
)
Read the next
seven short-short stories:
“Before and Again,”
Larissa Amir, pg 182
“A Bad Joke,”
Ha Jin, pg 189
“Consumed,”
Steve Amick, pg 196
“Why Men Quit:
An Intellectual Inquiry,” Benjamin Alire Sáenz, pg 201
“Delicate
Touch,” Stephanie Waxman, pg 206
“Country Miles,”
Robert King, pg 212
“Scroll,” Roy
Kesey, pg 216
Response Essay
One Due (Deadline Sept 22, noon)
Week Six – Sept 22-29
Read the next
eight short-short stories:
“Swimming for
Shore,” Chrissy Kolaya, pg 222
“Mud,” Geoffrey
Forsyth, pg 229
“Feelers,” John
Gould, pg 234
“The Party,”
Elizabeth Berg, pg 238
“My Kid’s Dog,”
Ron Hansen, pg 244
“Power Lines,”
John McNally, pg 251
“Incarnations
of Burned Children,” David Foster Wallace, pg 255
“Inclusions,”
Elizabeth McBride, pg 259
Week Seven – Sept 29-Oct 6
Read the next
seven short-short stories:
“Good, Brother,”
Peter Markus, pg 264
“Reply All,”
Robin Hemley, pg 268
“Escort,” Chuck
Palahniuk, pg 277
“The Gold Lunch,”
Ron Carlson, pg 281
“Doughnut Shops
and Doormen,” Kimberly Kepa’a Tubania, pg 288
“A Piece of Sky,”
Ronald Frame, pg 293
“Stolen Chocolates,”
Ursula Hegi, pg 299
Take Quiz Two
(Deadline Oct 6, noon)
Week Eight – Oct 6-13
Read the last
eight short-short stories:
“Juan the Cell
Phone Salesman,” Deb Olin Unferth, pg 305
“Nap Time,” Tom
Franklin, pg 310
“Audio Tour,”
Patricia Marx, pg 316
“Paper Slippers,”
Leelila Strogov, pg 320
“Crossroad,”
Kirk Nesset, pg 332
“Determinants,”
Gerald Locklin, pg 332
“How I Left Ned,”
Sherrie Flick, pg 336
“
Response Essay
Two Due (Deadline Oct 13, noon)
You
made it! J
Have
a great rest of the semester.
Don’t
forget to register early for Fall II and Spring 09 courses!