Spring 2020 Course Syllabus Course: ENGL-2326- Section: 01 American Literature

Instructor Information
Instructor	Caitlin James
E-mail	jamescr1@lamarpa.edu
Phone	(409) 984-6415
Office	Location: Student Center - Room: 416 Hours: M,W- 1:30-3:00, T,TR- 9:00-12:00, F- 11:00-12:00, or by appointment.
Department	General Education and Developmental Studies Chair: Dr. Michelle Davis E-mail: davisml1@lamarpa.edu Phone: (409) 984-6341 If you have a grievance, complaint, or concern about this course that has not been resolved through discussion with the Instructor, please consult the Department Chair.
Course Information
Description	A survey of American literature from the period of exploration and settlement to the present. 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.
Prerequisites	ENGL 1301
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 (PSLO 5& Alpha) Measured by response paper rubric & Pre-test/Post-test 2. Analyze literary works as expressions of individual or communal values within social/ethical, political, cultural, or religious contexts of different literary periods. (PSLO 1,2&6) Measured by class discussion and essay rubric 3. Demonstrate knowledge of the development of characteristic forms or styles of expression during different historical periods or in different regions (PSLO 1,2&6) Measured by essay rubric 4. Articulate the aesthetic principles that guide the scope and variety of works in the arts and humanities. (PSLO 1,2,5&6)Measured by essay rubric 5. Write research-based critical papers about the assigned readings in clear and grammatically correct prose, using various critical approaches to literature. (PSLO 1&2) Measured by essay rubric.
Core Objectives
Program Student Learning Outcomes	PSLO ALPHA: Reading skills - Demonstrates comprehension of content-area reading material. Identifies all main ideas, supporting details, and vocabulary in reading material; demonstrates a full understanding of the reading. PSLO 1: Critical Thinking Skills – Uses creative thinking, innovation, inquiry and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information. Creatively identifies problem, argument, or issue (to determine extent of information needed); differentiates the facts from opinions as relates to situation; constructs possible solutions or prediction or consequences; uses logical, sound reasoning to justify conclusion. PSLO 2: Communication Skills – Demonstrates effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and/or visual communication. Expresses a strong thesis; organizes information with effective transitions & sequencing of ideas; uses substantial, logical & specific development of ideas; details are relevant, original, credible and correctly documented when appropriate to show an effective development and interpretation of ideas; and presents ideas in appropriate mode of expression for the task. PSLO 5: Social Responsibility Skills - Expresses intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities. Identifies cultural characteristics (including beliefs, values, perspectives and/or practices); demonstrates knowledge of civic responsibility; provides evidence of experience in civic- engagement activities; and describes what she/ he has learned as it relates to a reinforced and clarified sense of civic identity in local, regional, national, or global communities; and shows awareness of one’s own culture in relation to others. PSLO 6: Personal Responsibility Skills – Integrates choices, actions and consequences in ethical decision-making. Recognizes ethical issues when presented in a complex, multilayered (gray) context; recognizes cross- relationships among the issues; discusses in detail/ analyzes core beliefs; the discussion has greater depth and clarity showing the independent application of ethical perspectives/ concepts to an ethical question accurately; and is able to consider full implications of the application.
Textbooks	Textbook Purchasing Statement: A student attending Lamar State College Port Arthur is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from the college-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer. Norton Anthology of American Literature (Shorter Eighth Edition), Ed. Baym et al. ISBN: 978-0-393-91887-8
Lecture Topics Outline	This class surveys the American narrative about itself, focusing on such topics as Myths of Origin, Declarations of Independence, Realism and Satire, the Beat Generation, the Harlem Renaissance, and other significant genres of canonical American literature. Although we address a wide range of authors (Emerson, Hawthorne, Melville, Thoreau, Whitman, Dickinson, Wharton, Hurston, among others), students also scrutinize certain core works in historical, biographical, and literary contexts: Mary Rowlandson's Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration, Frederick Douglass's Narrative, Stephen Crane's The Open Boat, and Henry James' Daisy Miller.
Major Assignments Schedule	Week 1: Course Overview; Intro to American Literature, Timeline Week 2: Iroquois Creation Story/Pilgrims/Bradford Week 3: Bradstreet/Salem Witch Trials/Rowlandson/Mather Week 4: Edwards/Franklin/Paine/Wheatley Week 5: Exam 1/ TBA Week 6: Irving/Emerson/Longfellow/Thoreau Week 7: Hawthorne/Poe Week 8: SPRING BREAK March 9-13 Week 9: Dickinson/Whitman/Exam 2 Week 10: Writing Workshop: Multi-Genre Research Projects Week 11: Twain/Harte/James/ Week 12: Wharton/Chopin/Gilman Week 13: Crane/Dunbar/Exam 3 Week 14: Frost/Hughes/Eliot/Hurston/Cummings Week 15: Fitzgerald/Bishop/Cheever/ Plath/Review for Final Week 16: Final
Final Exam Date	May 8, 2020 - 11:00 AM   Through  May 8, 2020 - 1:30 PM
Grading Scale	90 - 100=A    80 - 89=B    70 - 79=C     60 - 69=D    Below 59 = F
Determination of Final Grade	Response Papers (8-10)- 25% Tests (m/c)- 25% Participation 10% Research Paper- 20% Final (m/c and essay)- 20%
Course Policies
Instructor Policies	DO NOT email me to ask what was missed during your absence. Ask another student and check Blackboard. No texting during lectures. NO FOOD. No phones out during class unless I specify you may use them.
Attendance Policy	Class attendance is mandatory. However, for either illness or emergencies, I will allow THREE absences for this course without any punitive damage to your grade. Please note: for each subsequent absence after three, a letter grade will be deducted from your semester average, and there is absolutely NO exception to this penalty. If you are an athlete and have to miss class due to an off-campus game, proper paperwork MUST be submitted to the instructor before the date of absence, if not, this will count as an absence. If you are absent (for any reason), you are still responsible for the material that was covered during your absence and for assignments given during your absence. If you get up and leave before I dismiss class, you will be marked absent for the day. It is discourteous to leave while class is in session, but if you really must leave the classroom during class (even for just a couple of minutes), you are still responsible for whatever was covered during your absence.
Academic Honesty	Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSC-PA policies (Section IX, subsection A, in the Faculty Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty.
Facility Policies	No food or tobacco products are allowed in the classroom. Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom, except by special instructor permission. Use of electronic devices is prohibited.
Important Information
ADA Considerations	The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the the Office for Disability Services Coordinator, Room 231, in the Madison Monroe Building. The phone number is (409) 984-6241.
MyLamarPA	Be sure to check your campus E-mail and Course Homepage using MyLamarPA campus web portal (My.LamarPA.edu). When you've logged in, click the email icon in the upper right-hand corner to check email, or click on the "My Courses" tab to get to your Course Homepage. Click the link to your course and review the information presented. It is important that you check your email and Course Homepage regularly. You can also access your grades, transcripts, and determine who your academic advisor is by using MyLamarPA.
Other	I will not discuss your grades over the phone or by email. If you want to discuss your grades, you must come to my office, in person.
HB 2504	This syllabus is part of LSC-PA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504.