Syllabus for LIT-301

ADVANCED AMERICAN LITERATURE I

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This upper-level course is an in-depth study of American literature beginning with Native American trickster tales and the literature of the early explorers and settlers and ending with works that explore issues of race and freedom during and after the time of the American Civil War. Well-known writers are included as well as significant writers who are less often studied. The course involves analysis of texts and synthesis of readings as well as a significant amount of writing. Students write a documented research paper as a capstone project.

Through the www.learner.org site, students have searchable access to an online archive of nearly 3,000 primary-source documents including visual art, newspaper articles, musical recordings, photos, and sound files. The syllabus directs students to use this site.

Note: This is an upper-level literature course. Incoming students are expected to be familiar with the vocabulary and conventions of literary analysis as well as the correct use of MLA style documentation. Before enrolling in an upper-level literature course, students are strongly encouraged to complete English Composition II and one other introductory literature course.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing this course, you should be able to: 

1. Interpret primary texts from American literature that have shaped or reflected American culture from early Native American oral literature to works written during and just after the American Civil War.
2. Analyze characters, literary styles, and themes in the works covered.
3. Synthesize your knowledge of and response to literature with understanding of historical events as well as personal insight.
4. Compare and contrast significant texts and ideas.
5. Explore the questions, issues, and controversies present in American literature through 1865, analyzing how they have evolved over time.
6. Connect these significant works of literature of the past to the lives and identities of people today.
7. Compose extended analyses of the works read.

COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to do the work of the course. The required textbook is available from the College's textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

Required Textbook

1. The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Volume A, 8th ed., edited by Nina Baym (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012).

ISBN-13: 978-0-393-93476-2

1. The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Volume B, 8th ed., edited by Nina Baym (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012).
   
   ISBN-13: 978-0-393-93477-9

1. Study Guide to Accompany American Passages, A Literary Survey (New York: W. W. Norton, 2004).

ISBN-10: 0-393-97939-3

Video Programs

American Passages: A Literary Survey, 7 half-hour programs produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting in association with the American Studies Crossroads Project of the American Studies Association.

The video programs are being offered via streaming video technology through this course site. Each assignment will include the necessary links for accessing the video stream.

Online Archive

In this course, you have access to approximately 3,000 primary-source documents through the American Passages Online Archive. The site includes historical and cultural artifacts such as visual art, newspaper articles, musical recordings, diaries, and maps. In each module, this course site will suggest consulting the archive for specific items. However, the Study Guide is filled with additional references to the archive. Although viewing of material from the archive and its inclusion in assignments is not required, students are encouraged to use the archive to enrich their learning experience.

Each module contains a set of references to the archive. You can click on the link in the table provided in order to access the archive document. As noted in the second point below, you may be taken to the legal policy page. Read the material on this screen, and if you agree click "Yes." Then you will be taken to the document.

To search the archive on your own, do the following:

1. Go to Online Archive.
2. The first few times that you access this site in any one sitting, you will be directed first to the legal policy page. Read the material on this screen, and if you agree click "Yes." You may be directed straight to the search page later on.
3. On the next screen, if you are searching by number, click "Serial Number," type in the number of the item you want, scroll down to the bottom of the page, and click "Search." The item will come up; if it is an image, you will have the opportunity to enlarge it by clicking beneath the image.
4. You may also search using a phrase. Step 2 on the search page helps you narrow your search.

COURSE STRUCTURE

Advanced American Literature I is a three-credit online course, consisting of seven (7) modules. The course requires you to complete four written assignments and to submit a final paper. You are also required to participate in graded online discussions and an ungraded "Introductions" forum. In addition, after each set of readings, you will write about what you read in a reflective journal and submit your efforts to your mentor. Each week in the semester begins on Monday and ends on Sunday. Module titles are listed below.

1. Module 1: Native Voices - sets forth the main themes of the course and introduces American Indian literature
   
2. Module 2: Borderlands - covers the contact and conflict among European explorers and Native Americans through the mid-seventeenth century
   
3. Module 3: Utopian Promise - spotlights the literature and culture of groups who inhabited the eastern shores of North America in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
   
4. Module 4: Nationalism and Idealism - explores American nationalism and individualism in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries
   
5. Module 5: Ideals and Heroes -  investigates the concept of the frontier and issues of gender, race, and ethnicity in the nineteenth century
   
6. Module 6: American Gothic - examines the dark side of nineteenth century culture and identity
   
7. Module 7: Slavery and Freedom - explores race and identity in America after the Civil War
   

Consult the course Calendar for assignment due dates.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in online discussion forums, complete written assignments, complete a reflective journal, and complete a final paper. See below for more details.

Consult the course Calendar for assignment due dates.

Discussion Forums

In addition to an ungraded "Introductions" forum, Advanced American Literature I requires you to participate in nine (9) graded class discussions.

Communication with the mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct assignments: an initial response to a posted question (discussion thread) and subsequent comments on classmates' responses.

You will be evaluated both on the quality of your responses (i.e., your understanding of readings, and concepts as demonstrated by well-articulated, critical thinking) and quantity of your participation (i.e., the number of times you participate meaningfully in the assigned forums). Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.

Meaningful participation in online discussions is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement. (See Tone, Diction, and Style under WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS for more information.)

Reflective Journal

You are required to submit seven (7) reflective journal entries to your mentor that records your reactions to the literature you have read. This journal, though shared with your mentor, will not be graded on content or for grammatical expression. You are submitting it to your mentor mainly so he or she knows that you are reading and responding to the literature as the course progresses. If you submit the journal regularly and it shows that you have been doing the reading, you will receive the full number of points toward your final grade.

Be sure to keep your own copy of your journal as well as sending regular installments to your mentor using the Assignment Tool. You will be asked to include relevant and appropriate journal entries in your final paper, so you will need to be able to refer to these entries.

There is no prescribed length for your journal entries. They are not intended to be detailed analyses, just your honest reaction.  The important thing to remember is that there are no right or wrong responses. You will not be penalized for not liking a piece of literature--only for not reading it!

Online Archive

In this course you have access to approximately 3,000 primary-source documents through the American Passages Online Archive. The site includes historical and cultural artifacts such as visual art, newspaper articles, musical recordings, diaries, and maps. In each module, this course site will suggest consulting the archive for specific items. However, the Study Guide is filled with additional references to the archive. Although viewing of material from the archive and its inclusion in assignments is not required, students are encouraged to use the archive to enrich their learning experience.

Each module contains a set of references to the archive. You can click on the link in the table provided in order to access the archive document. As noted in the second point below, you may be taken to the legal policy page. Read the material on this screen, and if you agree click "Yes." Then you will be taken to the document.

To search the archive on your own, do the following:

1. Go to Online Archive.
2. The first few times that you access this site in any one sitting you will be directed first to the legal policy page. Read the material on this screen, and if you agree click "Yes." You may be directed straight to the search page later on.
3. On the next screen, if you are searching by number, click "Serial Number," type in the number of the item you want, scroll down to the bottom of the page, and click "Search." The item will come up; if it is an image, you will have the opportunity to enlarge it by clicking beneath the image.
4. You may also search using a phrase. Step 2 on the search page helps you narrow your search.

Written Assignments

You are required to complete four (4) written assignments. The written assignments are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules.

The written assignments are the primary means for you to express yourself verbally during the semester, controlling content and meaning. The written assignments are on a variety of topics associated with the courses modules. Refer to the Rubric Development Module for the appropriate rubric that will aid in the grading of written assignments.

Take the time to familiarize yourself with the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site, and read through the written assignment questions before you begin the reading for that assignment.

Your answers to the assignment questions should be well developed and convey your understanding of the readings and concepts. They should also adequately answer the questions posed. If you need help in writing, take a look at The Writing Center: University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Also, formulate responses in your own words. Do not merely copy answers from your reading materials. When quoting or paraphrasing from the text or other sources, be sure to cite the source of information properly according to MLA or APA guidelines (see also Writing Style Guides). However, your mentor will guide you in accordance with the correct style of documentation.

Tone, Diction, and Style

Your written assignments should be approached in a quite different way from your responses to the online discussion topics. Written assignments should be formal academic papers. This means, among other things, that you should write in third person, avoid informal diction or spelling, avoid contractions, proofread carefully, and use MLA-style parenthetical documentation to identify your sources.

The online discussions, on the other hand, much like live classroom discussions, are meant to be a more informal give-and-take. You may use first person (stating, for example, "I liked," "What struck me," etc.). Your discussion board responses will be similar to a conversation and may include contractions and less formal diction. Remember however, that while you may be somewhat informal, you should still write in Standard English and proofread your post before hitting "Submit."

Final Paper - Final Comprehensive Assessment

There is no midterm or final proctored examination in this course. An 18 to 20-page paper, described below, acts as your final assessment and is worth 50 percent of your grade. You will begin work on this paper early in the course, choosing a topic, submitting an outline, and submitting an abstract and list of major works cited. You must complete the writing of the paper and submit it to your mentor by the last day of the semester.

As stated, the paper is worth 50 percent of your grade. You will receive credit for submitting each of the intermediate steps (topic, outline, abstract and works cited); each is worth 2.5 percent of your total grade. Your grade on the paper, therefore, counts toward 42.5 percent of your final grade.

Your final paper should be 18 to 20 pages in length. You will find instructions in the Final Project- Final Comprehensive Assesment, in the Assignment Modules area of the course site. You may want to look over them now, so that you can begin the course with a good idea of what your final assessment will require. You will choose any one author or work and show how the individual or the work relates to the totality of American literature.

Your final assessment should be well developed and should convey your understanding of readings and concepts, as well as answer the question adequately. It should be organized, coherent, and unified; it should also be free of spelling and grammatical errors. If you need help in writing such a paper, take a look at The Writing Center: University of Wisconsin-Madison.

When quoting or paraphrasing from the text or other sources, be sure to cite the source of information properly according to MLA guidelines (see also see also Writing Style Guides). Your mentor will be able to guide you in accordance with this style of documentation.

GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

1. Online discussions (9)—9 percent
2. Written assignments (4)—34 percent
3. Reflective journal entries (7)—7 percent
4. Final paper—50 percent

All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or better (for an area of study course) or D or better (for a nonarea of study course), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, etc.).

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success

To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

1. Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.
   
2. Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, how to schedule exams, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.
3. Arrange to take your examinations by following the instructions in this Syllabus and the Online Student Handbook.
   
4. Familiarize yourself with the learning management systems environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.
   
5. If you are not familiar with Web-based learning be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.
   

Study Tips

Consider the following study tips for success:

1. To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The calendar provides an overview of the course and of each module's learning assignments. It also indicates due dates for posting discussions and for submitting reflective journal entries and written assignments; it also shows the deadlines for paper preparation checkpoints.
   
2. Check Announcements regularly for new course information.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Students at Thomas Edison State College are expected to exhibit the highest level of academic citizenship. In particular, students are expected to read and follow all policies, procedures, and program information guidelines contained in publications; pursue their learning goals with honesty and integrity; demonstrate that they are progressing satisfactorily and in a timely fashion by meeting course deadlines and following outlined procedures; observe a code of mutual respect in dealing with mentors, staff, and other students; behave in a manner consistent with the standards and codes of the profession in which they are practicing; keep official records updated regarding changes in name, address, telephone number, or e-mail address; and meet financial obligations in a timely manner. Students not practicing good academic citizenship may be subject to disciplinary action including suspension, dismissal, or financial holds on records.

Academic Dishonesty

Thomas Edison State College expects all of its students to approach their education with academic integrity—the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception. All mentors and administrative staff members at the College insist on strict standards of academic honesty in all courses. Academic dishonesty undermines this objective. Academic dishonesty takes the following forms:

1. Cheating
2. Plagiarizing (including copying and pasting from the Internet without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources)
3. Fabricating information or citations
4. Facilitating acts of dishonesty by others
5. Unauthorized access to examinations or the use of unauthorized materials during exam administration
6. Submitting the work of another person or work previously used without informing the mentor
7. Tampering with the academic work of other students

Academic dishonesty will result in disciplinary action and possible dismissal from the College. Students who submit papers that are found to be plagiarized will receive an F on the plagiarized assignment, may receive a grade of F for the course, and may face dismissal from the College.

A student who is charged with academic dishonesty will be given oral or written notice of the charge. If a mentor or College official believes the infraction is serious enough to warrant referral of the case to the academic dean, or if the mentor awards a final grade of F in the course because of the infraction, the student and the mentor will be afforded formal due process.

If a student is found cheating or using unauthorized materials on an examination, he or she will automatically receive a grade of F on that examination. Students who believe they have been falsely accused of academic dishonesty should seek redress through informal discussions with the mentor, through the office of the dean, or through an executive officer of Thomas Edison State College.

Plagiarism

Using someone else's work as your own is plagiarism. Although it may seem like simple dishonesty, plagiarism is against the law. Thomas Edison State College takes a strong stance against plagiarism, and students found to be plagiarizing will be severely penalized. If you copy phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or whole documents word-for-word—or if you paraphrase by changing a word here and there—without identifying the author, then you are plagiarizing. Please keep in mind that this type of identification applies to Internet sources as well as to print-based sources. Copying and pasting from the Internet, without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources, constitutes plagiarism. (For information about how to cite Internet sources, see Online Student Handbook > Academic Standards > "Citing Sources.")

Accidentally copying the words and ideas of another writer does not excuse the charge of plagiarism. It is easy to jot down notes and ideas from many sources and then write your own paper without knowing which words are your own and which are someone else's. It is more difficult to keep track of each and every source. However, the conscientious writer who wishes to avoid plagiarizing never fails to keep careful track of sources.

Always be aware that if you write without acknowledging the sources of your ideas, you run the risk of being charged with plagiarism.

Clearly, plagiarism, no matter the degree of intent to deceive, defeats the purpose of education. If you plagiarize deliberately, you are not educating yourself, and you are wasting your time on courses meant to improve your skills. If you plagiarize through carelessness, you are deceiving yourself.