Five-Year Review of General Education Courses
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Five-Year Review of General Education Courses
Department: _English______Course Prefix and Number: _Engl 345______
Course Title: _Themes in American Culture______
Instructor(s): _Totten, Peterson______
This form was completed by: _Gary Totten______
Date: _12/14/07______
Campus phone #: _1-7158______E-mail: [email protected]______
A. Is this course intended to be continued to be offered as a General Education course? Yes: __X___ No: _____ (If no, please delete the next three questions and progress to identifying how the General Education outcomes selected for this course were met during the previous five-year period.)
B. Will any of the General Education outcomes previously identified for this course be deleted? Yes: _____ No: __X___
If so, please identify the learning outcome(s) to be deleted: ______C. Which General Education learning outcomes will be continued? ______
D. Will any General Education learning outcomes be added for this course? Yes: _____ No: __X___
If General Education learning outcomes are to be added, this form must be accompanied by a “General Education New Course Template”.
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Outcome #1: (Students will learn to) Communicate effectively in a variety of contexts and formats.
What methods of evaluation have been used to determine if, and how effectively, this outcome has been met?
Course writing assignments, course exams, and oral presentation of group research.
What assignments, test questions, and/or projects included in the attachments (and referenced in the rubric for Student Learning Outcome #1) have addressed this outcome?
Weekly reading journals, essay responses on course exams, four one-page typed and single-spaced interpretation papers, and collaborative group assignment researching and leading discussion on a course text.
------Outcome #2: (Students will learn to) Locate and use information for making appropriate personal and professional decisions.
What methods of evaluation have been used to determine if, and how effectively, this outcome has been met?
Course writing assignments and oral presentation of group research.
What assignments, test questions, and/or projects included in the attachments (and referenced in the rubric for Student Learning Outcome #2) have addressed this outcome?
Four one-page typed and single-spaced interpretation papers and collaborative group assignment researching and leading discussion on a course text. ------
Outcome #3: (Students will learn to) Comprehend the concepts and perspectives needed to function in national and international societies.
What methods of evaluation have been used to determine if, and how effectively, this outcome has been met?
Course writing assignments and exams.
What assignments, test questions, and/or projects included in the attachments (and referenced in the rubric for Student Learning Outcome 3) have addressed this outcome?
Four one-page typed and single-spaced interpretation papers, weekly reading journal, and essay questions on exams.
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If this course was previously approved for the Cultural Diversity or Global Perspectives category please provide a short description and examples of how this course has fulfilled, and will continue to fulfill, the following definitions:
Cultural Diversity: Cultural Diversity focuses on the personal, interpersonal, and social effects of students encountering the effects of differences among a variety of cultures.
Students explore the personal, interpersonal, and social effects of the slave trade as revealed through course texts, considering how the response and interpretation of slavery and its legacy has changed over time. For example, students read early slave narratives such as Olaudah Equiano’s Interesting Narrative, noting issues such as individual and cultural identity, the effects of racial violence and oppression, and differences in cultural attitudes among the nations and cultures affected by the transatlantic slave trade. Students then trace these issues and ideas as they are explored in later texts and travel narratives by African American writers such as Ida B. Wells, Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, Langston Hughes, Paule Marshall, Toni Morrison, Charles Johnson, and Cornelia Bailey. Students also read Herman Melville’s Benito Cereno, in order to explore how African slaves are portrayed in texts by canonical white writers. Students also conduct research on issues of race and diversity in the course texts and present their findings to the class. Students are required to apply their own ideas and ideas from their research to their writing about and their study and discussion of course texts (see attached Interpretation Paper Guidelines, Collaborative Group Assignment Guidelines, and Final Exam questions).
------Outcome 1
General Education Outcome 1: Communicate effectively in a variety of contexts and modes, using a variety of communication skills. In order for a course to meet General Education Outcome 1, student products should be substantial and should constitute at least 50% of the course grade. The course must require that students produce at least three pieces in two of the following three categories: writing, oral presentations, or visual communication. Students should receive structured feedback and at least one revision should be required.
Communicate effectively in a variety of contexts The student has demonstrated the ability to communicate effectively
1. For a variety of purposes N/A No Somewhat Yes √ (to inform/ persuade/ Evidence: evaluate, etc.) Students complete writing assignments and answer exam questions that require them to communicate for a variety of purposes. For example, in their interpretation papers, students must make a claim about a text and argue persuasively to support their claim (see attached handout describing the Interpretation Paper guidelines). In their collaborative group assignments, students must conduct research on the context of course writers and present the information to the class, indicating how the research informs understanding of the writers’ background, concerns, and texts. The groups must also prepare discussion questions that will allow the members of the class to further discuss the ideas that the group has presented (see attached guidelines for Collaborative Group Assignment). On exams, students must explain their understanding of course texts and concepts; for example, question #2 on the attached Final Exam asks students to explain how the concept of double- consciousness informs the course texts.
2. With different kinds of N/A √ No Somewhat Yes audiences (peers, public, Evidence: individuals, groups, etc.)
3. In different kinds of N/A √ No Somewhat Yes communication forums Evidence: (dialogues, committees, public speeches, various publications, electronic communication [email, web pages], etc.) 4. Using different kinds of N/A No Somewhat Yes √ formats (formal Evidence: presentation, progress report, final report, news Students are required to organize information into different formats. In their story, etc.) interpretation papers, they are asked to formulate an argument in a standard academic essay (see Interpretation Paper Guidelines attachment). In their weekly reading journals (see description on syllabus), they write their opinions and questions about course texts in a more informal format with a more personal tone. Students are expected to draw upon the entries in their journals to contribute to class discussion. In the Collaborative Group Assignment, students organize researched information into an oral report, which includes the presentation of the information and a handout summarizing the information, with discussion questions and a works cited page (see Collaborative Group Assignment, attached).
5. Other. Please specify. N/A √ No Somewhat Yes Evidence:
Evidence= evidence from student activities in course; Revised 10/21/04; Expires 10/21/09;
Communicate effectively in a variety of modes The student has demonstrated the ability to communicate effectively
1. Using oral N/A No Somewhat Yes √ communication Evidence:
Students are required to demonstrate effective oral communication, as part of a collaborative group, in the oral presentation of their research on course authors (see Collaborative Group Assignment guidelines attached).
2. Using written N/A No Somewhat Yes √ communication Evidence:
Students are required to demonstrate effective written communication in their interpretation papers (see Interpretation Paper Guidelines attached), in their weekly reading journals (see description on attached syllabus), and on exam questions (see sample questions on attached Final Exam).
3. Using visual N/A √ No Somewhat Yes communication (charts, Evidence graphs, illustrations, etc.) 4. Other. Please specify. N/A √ No Somewhat Yes Evidence:
Evidence= evidence from student activities in course; Revised 10/21/04; Expires 10/21/09;
Communicate effectively using a variety of skills The student has demonstrated the ability to communicate effectively 1. Finding topics, N/A No Somewhat Yes √ arguments, and evidence Evidence: appropriate for speech/written document/ In their interpretation papers (see attached Interpretation Paper Guidelines), situation students must find evidence in the primary texts to support their argument about the text. In their Collaborative Group Assignments (attached), students must find appropriate research which will provide context and background on course authors for the other class members. 2. Organizing ideas in a N/A No Somewhat Yes √ coherent structure Evidence:
In their interpretation papers (see attached Interpretation Paper Guidelines), students are required to organize their ideas into the coherent structure of a standard academic essay, with an introduction and thesis, body paragraphs of support, and a concluding paragraph.
3. Composing language N/A No Somewhat Yes √ effectively to convey Evidence meaning Students will need to compose language effectively into sentences and paragraphs to convey meaning (including explaining, persuading, and evaluating arguments) in all writing assignments, including interpretation papers and on exams (see attached guidelines for papers and sample exam).
4. Employing an appropriate N/A No Somewhat Yes √ university-level vocabulary Evidence
Students must employ appropriate university-level vocabulary on all writing assignments. As a specific example, they must learn and be able to use the university-level vocabulary related to the study of course materials, including terms such as “double-consciousness” (see question #2 on Final Exam) or key course terms such as “Black Atlantic” or “Middle Passage.” Students are expected to employ such terminology properly in interpretation papers.
5. Demonstrating the N/A No Somewhat Yes √ grammar, spelling, usage, Evidence mechanics, and structure of standard English As with any college-level writing assignment, all writing assignments in this course require students to demonstrate an understanding and the proper use of grammar, spelling, usage, mechanics, and structure of standard English.
6. Presenting the text or N/A √ No Somewhat Yes speech effectively as Evidence finished product or performance 7. Other. Please specify. N/A √ No Somewhat Yes Evidence:
Evidence= evidence from student activities in course; Revised 10/21/04; Expires 10/21/09;
Outcome 2
Locate and use information for personal decisions:
The student has demonstrated the ability to: 1. Identify the value and N/A √ No Somewhat Yes differences of potential Evidence: information sources and retrieval systems in a variety of formats. 2. Select appropriate N/A No Somewhat Yes √ general resources and Evidence: retrieval systems to meet an identified information Students are required to perform library and internet research to acquire peer-reviewed need. books and scholarly articles relating to course authors. They then critically appraise the sources and select information from these sources to construct an oral presentation of research to the other class members (see Collaborative Group Assignment guidelines, attached).
3. Develop and N/A √ No Somewhat Yes implement a search Evidence: strategy for identified information retrieval sources. Identify key concepts and terms that describe the information need. Effectively use the selected information retrieval source or system by incorporating Boolean Operators, proximity searching, and truncation for electronic resources and index use for print sources. 4. Examine and compare N/A √ No Somewhat Yes information from various Evidence: sources in order to evaluate reliability, validity, accuracy, authority, timeliness, and point of view or bias. 5. Draw conclusions N/A No Somewhat Yes √ based upon the Evidence: information gathered. Students are required to use their own critical judgment and interpretive abilities to draw conclusions from their research that will inform the other class members’ understanding of a course author and his or her context and concerns (see Collaborative Group Assignment guidelines, attached). They must accurately interpret and draw conclusions about their sources (and the appropriate use of those sources) in order to produce a quality presentation.
6. Other. Please specify. N/A √ No Somewhat Yes Evidence:
Evidence= evidence from student activities in course Notes/Examples will be added where appropriate, i.e. use of library instruction. Revised 10/07/04; Expires 09/09/09
Outcome 2 Locate and use information for professional decisions:
The student has demonstrated the ability to:
1. Differentiate between N/A No Somewhat Yes √ primary and secondary Evidence: sources and their uses within a discipline. Students are required to understand the difference between the primary course texts (listed on the syllabus) and the secondary texts that they are required to find in order to prepare their oral presentations. They must locate and use at least 3-4 secondary sources for the Collaborative Group Assignment (see attached guidelines).
2. Identify the value and N/A No Somewhat Yes √ differences of discipline- Evidence: specific information sources and retrieval systems in a Students are instructed to use the MLA Bibliography and other appropriate databases to variety of formats. locate sources for their Collaborative Group Assignment project. Students are specifically required to use scholarly peer-reviewed sources published in humanities journals and may use the MLA Bibliography, JSTOR, Project Muse, or other suitable databases and retrieval systems to access these sources, in hard copy or in online PDF format.
3. Select appropriate N/A √ No Somewhat Yes discipline-specific resources Evidence: and retrieval systems to meet an identified information need. 4. Develop and implement a N/A √ No Somewhat Yes search strategy for identified Evidence: information retrieval sources. Identify key concepts and terms that describe the information need. Effectively use the selected information retrieval source or system by incorporating Boolean Operators, proximity searching, and truncation for electronic resources and index use for print sources. 5. Examine and compare N/A √ No Somewhat Yes information from various Evidence: sources in order to evaluate reliability, validity, accuracy, authority, timeliness, and point of view or bias. 6. Draw conclusions based N/A No Somewhat Yes √ upon the information Evidence: gathered. Students are expected to draw conclusions from their research, which they then share with the class. Their ability to do so in a skillful and professional manner is illustrated by the strength of their oral presentation, the handout that accompanies the presentation, and in the validity and usefulness of the discussion questions that they create based on their research (see guidelines for Collaborative Group Assignment, attached). These discussion questions require the students, collaboratively, to draw conclusions about the information they have researched and formulate it into a question that will illuminate course authors for other class members. 7. Recognize that existing N/A No Somewhat Yes √ information can be combined Evidence: with original thought, experimentation, and/or In their interpretation papers (see Interpretation Paper Guidelines, attached), students analysis to produce new are expected to bring to bear their original thought and analysis to existing information in information. course texts in order to create a persuasive new interpretation of the texts.
8. Understand that information N/A √ No Somewhat Yes may need to be constructed Evidence: with raw data from primary sources. 9. Other. Please specify. N/A √ No Somewhat Yes Evidence:
Outcome 3
Outcome 3: Comprehend the concepts and perspectives needed to function in national and international societies.
The student has demonstrated the ability to
1. Identify and explain multiple N/A No Somewhat Yes √ concepts and perspectives Evidence: (such as individualism, social stratification, monotheism, or racism) Students demonstrate their ability to explain racism and the oppression that used to analyze aspects of national accompanies such racism through their discussion of these issues in the societies and international societies. weekly reading journals (described in the syllabus), in the interpretation papers (see Interpretation Paper Guidelines, attached), and on the exams (see Final Exam).
2. Analyze aspects of national societies N/A No Somewhat Yes √ and international societies with multiple Evidence: concepts and perspectives (such as social privilege, modernization, civic Students analyze issues of race and culture through various perspectives, culture, or division of labor). including a psychoanalytical lens or a cultural criticism lens (for example, see question about personal and cultural identity formation, and the connections between the two, on the Final Exam) or critical race theory (see question about W. E. B. DuBois’s concept of double-consciousness on the Final Exam).
3. Apply multiple concepts and N/A √ No Somewhat Yes perspectives (such as globalization, Evidence: cost-benefit analysis, fundamentalism, or xenophobia) to understand a contemporary issue in national societies and international societies. 4. Evaluate the strengths and N/A √ No Somewhat Yes weaknesses of multiple concepts and Evidence: perspectives (such as nationalism, cognitive dissonance, gender roles, or acculturation) employed to understand national societies and international societies. 5. Describe the basic assumptions N/A No Somewhat Yes √ (such as economic individualism or Evidence: social roles) and evidence (such as quantitative versus qualitative, or Students demonstrate their ability to discuss the basic assumptions, issues, primary versus secondary) used by the and evidence used to understand the international societies affected by the discipline studied to understand transatlantic slave trade through their successful discussion of these ideas in national societies and international their interpretation papers (see Interpretation Paper Guidelines, attached), in societies. their weekly reading journals (described in the syllabus), and on the course exams (sample Final Exam attached).
6. Understand how new knowledge is N/A √ No Somewhat Yes created (such as by surveys or archival Evidence: research) and evaluated (such as multiple causation) by the discipline studied to understand national societies and international societies. 7. Other. Please specify. N/A √ No Somewhat Yes Evidence:
Evidence= evidence from student activities in course Revised 10/07/04 Expires 09/09/09 English 345, Themes in American Culture (3 credits) Topic: Reading and Writing the Black Atlantic
Course Syllabus, Spring 2007
Instructor:Dr. Gary Totten Office Phone: 231-7158 Office: Minard 322H Office Hours: MWF 10-11 am by E-Mail:[email protected] appt.
Required Texts: The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Olaudah Equiano (Bedford, 1995) Benito Cereno, Herman Melville (Bedford, 2006) Middle Passage, Charles Johnson (Scribner, 1990) Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison (Plume, 1987) Praisesong for the Widow, Paule Marshall (Plume, 1983) God, Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man, Cornelia Walker Bailey (Anchor, 2000) Additional readings supplied by instructor or on reserve
Film: Daughters of the Dust, Dir. by Julie Dash (1991)
Course Description and Objectives: Description: As the NDSU course catalog states, this course emphasizes “a multidisciplinary approach, including art, music, and literature, to various eras and themes in American cultural history.” This course will specifically focus on the literature, history, and folklore of what Paul Gilroy has termed the Black Atlantic. The course is interdisciplinary and students will read and interpret literature (including fiction, drama, poetry, autobiography and travel accounts), literary criticism, folklore, historical and sociological texts, and film. We will explore historical and contemporary narratives of the slave trade’s middle passage and black travel writing to determine how the folklore and narratives associated with black transatlantic journeys continue to influence contemporary writers and filmmakers. Appropriate college writing and research skills will be expected from all students, including an understanding of proper MLA documentation style. The course will be taught in a modified seminar format and all students will be expected to participate in class discussion.
What is a Seminar? Students who enroll in a regular class may expect that the professor will take primary responsibility for preparing and relaying information to students through lectures, class activities, and specific assignments. Examinations will usually be administered in a class to evaluate student progress and establish a final grade. A seminar, on the other hand, shares the educational experience among students and professors. Professors facilitate discussion based on their own knowledge and study of a topic, but do not always offer long lectures or other formally structured lesson plans and assignments. Learning is instead based on the participation of each student. Students will be expected to do their own research on topic ideas to be covered in class meetings, offer essays or other written work in support of those ideas, and lead or facilitate group discussions of those topics. The knowledge and insight taken from a seminar relies on the enthusiasm of everyone who takes part. Because the seminar approach asks students to pursue research, writing, and discussion of topics through their own initiative, students are expected to be self-motivated and mature participants in the course. This course will be a modified seminar, meaning that I will expect a high level of participation and contribution to class discussion and learning from each student, but reading quizzes, a midterm, and a final will give the course more structure than a regular seminar.
Objectives: Students will become familiar with the aesthetic, cultural, and historical contexts of the Black Atlantic; they will gain a greater appreciation for the literature associated with the Black Atlantic, develop a greater expertise in the critical response to and interpretation of literature (in oral and written form), and become aware of the ongoing critical conversations that surround this literature. Students will also gain an awareness of the rich interdisciplinary context that informs literary texts.
General Education Outcomes & Information: This course satisfies the General Education Cultural Diversity requirement (Category 7). Also, as a course offering General Education Category 4 credit (Humanities and Fine Arts), it meets several General Education outcomes, which will be met through a combination of lectures, presentations, and discussions, and will be evaluated through group discussion-leadership and research opportunities, course writing assignments, and exams: Outcome One: The ability to communicate effectively in a variety of contexts and modes, using a variety of communication skills. Outcome Two: The ability to locate and use information for making appropriate personal and professional decisions. Outcome Three: The ability to comprehend the concepts and perspectives needed to function in national and international societies.
Department Outcomes: This course meets two English Department Outcomes for English major courses, which will be met through a combination of lectures, presentations, and discussions, and will be evaluated through group discussion- leadership and research opportunities, course writing assignments, and exams: Outcome Two: Students will be able to read (analyze, interpret, critique, evaluate) written and visual texts. Outcome Six. Students will be familiar with literatures as culturally and historically embedded practices. This outcome includes goals such as familiarity with major writers, genres, and periods, and technologies of writing.
Portfolio Information for English Majors: During their senior year, English majors generally enroll in the English Capstone course (Engl 467), during which they assemble a portfolio containing representative written work from NDSU English courses. The English Department evaluates these portfolios to assess its undergraduate programs, analyzing how student work meets departmental outcomes. In order to facilitate the preparation of senior portfolios, English majors are encouraged to save copies of their written work (in electronic and hard copy) each semester.
Grading: Weekly Reading Journal 10% Reading Quizzes 10% Interpretation papers (4) 25% Researching and Leading Class Discussion (Group) 15% Midterm 15% Final 15% Attendance & Participation 10% Weekly Reading Journal: You will write a weekly response to the assigned reading for the week. Both the reading and the journal response will need to be complete by the time the class meets each week. Bring your journal with you and draw upon your written responses as you ask questions and participate in discussion. I will expect you to write at least two full pages for each week, but you are welcome and encouraged to write more. Use the journal entries to explore your ideas and questions about the texts and the connections you see between texts. I will expect to see you incorporating the secondary critical texts in the journals as well as in discussion. I will collect the journals at midterm and at the end of the semester.
Papers: You will write four one-page, single-spaced and typed interpretation papers throughout the semester (two are due before midterm and two after) on course texts of your choosing. Interpretation papers should focus on a theoretical, textual, or cultural issue in the text. Although secondary sources are welcome, the main focus of these papers should be a close analysis of the identified issue as it plays out in the text. Please make enough copies for all class members when you bring your completed interpretation papers to our meeting and be prepared to talk about your papers (this will constitute part of the way in which students will contribute to class discussion and learning). Specific instructions for these papers will be provided in class.
Final drafts of papers are due at class time on the day indicated. Unless otherwise indicated, all assignments must be typed in twelve-point font with one-inch margins. Your name, the date, and the class name should appear in the upper left hand corner of the first page (no title page is necessary). Please title your papers, centering the title below the course information at the top of the page. I am available during office hours (or by appointment) to discuss your papers with you before you turn them in for a grade.
Researching & Leading Class Discussion: You will be assigned to a group and asked to research a topic based on class texts and contexts and lead a class discussion based on your work. Guidelines for this assignment will be provided in class.
Exams: You will write a midterm and final exam. These exams will consist of identifications, definitions, short answers, and essay questions. You will receive a review sheet before exams.
Attendance & Participation: University & Department Policies: In compliance with NDSU University Senate Policy, Section 333: Class Attendance and Policy and Procedure, located at
Course Policies: Attendance is not optional; participation is required in this seminar. Students need to come prepared to ask questions and discuss material, as informed discussion is vital to the vibrant experience of a seminar. Every student begins with 50 attendance points and will be allowed to miss one class period (the equivalent of a week, since we meet once a week) without penalty. Five (5) points will be deducted from your attendance point total for each day over one that you are absent. No distinction will be made between excused and unexcused absences (although a reasonable number of official college activities, e.g. sports, music, or forensic trips, etc., will not be counted as absences) so use your allowed absence wisely. Students must realize that missing class discussion will affect their final grade, possibly up to one-half letter grade for each day missed. Note: Students will be considered absent if they arrive late, leave early, or fall asleep in class. Students should see me if extraordinary circumstances will require their absence for an extended time. Important Note: As stated in the English Department attendance policy, students who are absent for four weeks or more of the scheduled class periods during the semester (in this case, 4 or more class periods) will receive a failing grade for the course, regardless of the grade on other course work.
Class Etiquette: We will be doing a lot of talking in the seminar and I encourage everyone’s energetic participation. However, I also ask that you be respectful of the ideas and time of others—respond maturely and respectfully to others’ comments and give others a chance to speak; avoid monopolizing the conversation, even if others are hesitant to speak up. Also, please avoid interrupting others, including the instructor, when they are speaking. I will abide by these rules, as well, and will count on everyone to monitor themselves; if problems arise, I will speak privately to those involved.
Special Concerns: If you need accommodations in this course because of a disability or other special needs, please discuss these needs with me as soon as possible.
Academic Honesty: All work in this course must be completed in a manner consistent with NDSU University Senate Policy, Section 335: Code of Academic Responsibility and Conduct, found at the following URL: http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/policy/335.htm
Grading Scale: A 90-100 C 70-79 F 0-59 B 80-89 D 60-69
Engl 345, Course Schedule, Spring 2007
Note: I encourage you to read the introductions to the required texts. Some of the introductions I will assign as required reading. The schedule is tentative and I reserve the right to change or add to it; you will be given plenty of advance notice if such changes become necessary.
Jan. 11 Course Introduction; Theories and Definitions of the Black Atlantic; Documentary: Africans in America Jan. 18 Equiano, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano; Gilroy, from The Black Atlantic (handout) Jan. 25 The Interesting Narrative; “Introduction” (1-26); Benito and Manzanas, “The (De-)Construction of the Other” (on reserve) Feb. 1 Selected black travel writing (handouts) Feb. 8 Melville, Benito Cereno; “Introduction” (5-32) Feb. 15 Johnson, Middle Passage Feb. 22 Middle Passage; Wolfe, “Git on Board” (handout) Mar. 1 Hughes and Bontemps, from Book of Negro Folklore (handout); Gates, “Canon- Formation, Literary History, and the Afro-American Tradition” (on reserve) Mar. 8 Film: Daughters of the Dust; Midterm Exam Mar. 15 No Class—Spring Break Mar. 22 Film: Daughters of the Dust; Bracy, “ibo landing” (handout); Pollitzer, “Relationship of the Gullah-Speaking People . . . to Their African Ancestors” (handout); Beoku- Betts, “We Got Our Way of Cooking Things” (handout); Mufwene, “The Ecology of Gullah’s Survival” (handout) Mar. 29 Bailey, God, Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man; “De Ones Ya’ll Kno’ ‘Bout” (handout); “Gawd Dun Smile ‘Pun We” (handout) Apr. 5 God, Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man Apr. 12 Morrison, Song of Solomon Apr. 19 Song of Solomon; Wilentz, “Civilizations Underneath: African Heritage as Cultural Discourse in Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon” (on reserve) Apr. 26 Marshall, Praisesong for the Widow May 3 Praisesong for the Widow May 10 Final Exam, 3:30-6:00 pm English 345 Final Exam
Choose ONE of the following questions and answer it in an essay of at least 750 words (approx 1 ½ single- spaced pages). Use specific details and quotes form the texts themselves and draw upon ideas and quotes from the secondary sources that we have read in the class. Read the question carefully to be sure that you understand and address what has been asked. The final exam question, as well as all outstanding assignments (interpretation papers, journals) are due by 6:00 pm (electronically) on Thursday, May 10; if you wish to submit these materials in a hard copy, they would need to be in the English Office before 5:00 pm.
1. Choose one character from each of the three texts (Bailey, Morrison, Marshall) and compare and contrast these characters’ search for self and cultural identity. As you make these comparisons, also consider the connections between these two kinds of identity.
2. Choose one character from each of the three texts (Bailey, Morrison, Marshall) and compare and contrast how the idea of double-consciousness informs the characters’ perspective, actions, experiences, and feelings. English 345 Collaborative Group Assignment
In groups, you will prepare information about course authors to share with the class and create discussion questions for the class to consider. Groups will need to perform some research to find out information about the authors to share with the class and that might be pertinent to our reading and discussion of the text. Groups will also need to prepare at least 4 discussion questions that the class can consider. Your group will lead this discussion, which can be in large or small group format.
Group Work & Contract: You will need to evenly divide the work (both preparation and presentation) between the group members. I will want to see that all members of the group have contributed to the research/preparation and participated in the group presentation/discussion. You will need to submit a group contract (see attached guidelines and criteria) at least one week before your presentation.
Grading Criteria: The presentation will be graded based on the amount of preparation (as indicated by the presentation itself), the strength of the presentation and discussion questions, and the leadership of the discussion.
Handout: Please prepare a handout which summarizes your research on the author, lists the discussion questions, and provides a works cited list of sources (I would like to see at least 3-4 different sources, if possible). The handout should be concise, visually appealing, and useful to the other class members as a reference.
Points Possible:
Group Contract: 25 Handout: 25 Presentation & Discussion: 50 English 345 Interpretation Paper Guidelines
Format: one page, single-spaced; quotations (including the primary text) should be cited according to MLA style and you must provide an MLA works cited entry at the end of the paper.
Content: The papers should reflect a close reading of one of our class texts. You will need to focus your paper on a narrow and specific aspect of the text (perhaps the setting, a particular scene, a character, a symbol, or any other element of the text that interests you and seems appropriate). You will need to begin with a brief introduction, in which you introduce the topic and provide a clear and compelling thesis statement that makes a claim or argument about the topic. Throughout the body paragraphs of the paper, use specific examples, quoting and paraphrasing from the text to support your argument. End with a conclusion that reiterates your main point(s) and reflects on the larger implications of what you have argued (the “so what”).
Before writing your interpretation papers, carefully read the examples provided. Notice how the writers focus their papers and the ways in which they use examples from the text itself to support their main ideas.
Please let me know if you have questions. I am happy to look at a draft of your paper before you turn it in for a grade.