ENG 105-01: Introduction to Narrative

ENG 105-01: Introduction to Narrative

Spring 2014

MWF 9:00-9:50 AM, Bryan 121

ENG 105-01

Spring 2014

Page 1

Instructor: Rebecca Dashiell

Email:

Office: Curry 335-D

Office Hours: MWF, 12:00-1:00 PM, and by appointment

ENG 105-01

Spring 2014

Page 1

Course Description

How do we define narrative? How does narrative work across genre? How do characters form their identities? In this introduction to narrative course, we will study multiple genres in order to explore the various ways in which narratives function. In addition, we will focus on narratives involving the search for and/or establishing of self. We will also study elements of literature and apply them to different forms of narrative, while acknowledging that there are multiple lenses through which to view a text and that these elements ultimately contribute to meaning. As a result, we will consider how the various literary elements are working together in a narrative, while paying special attention to how authors craft their narratives. Finally, you will have the opportunity in your own writing to use basic literary analysis terminology and practice thoughtful, close reading.

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for the GLT marker:

1. Demonstrate the reading skill required for the student of literary texts. (LG3)

2. Identify and/or describe some of the varied characteristics of literary texts. (LG3)

3. Demonstrate orally, in writing, or by some other means, a fundamental ability to use some of the techniques and/or methods of literary analysis. (LG 1 and LG 3)

4. Identify and/or describe some of the various social, historical, cultural, and/or theoretical contexts in which literary texts have been written and interpreted. (LG3)

Those SLOs labeled (LG3) relate to UNCG’s Learning Goal #3 for General Education, which says students will “Describe, interpret, and evaluate the ideas, events, and expressive traditions that have shaped collective and individual human experience through inquiry and analysis in the diverse disciplines of the humanities, religions, languages, histories, and the arts.”

Those SLOs labeled (LG1) relate to UNCG’s Learning Goal #1 for General Education, which saysstudents will “Think critically, communicate effectively, and develop appropriate fundamental skills in quantitative and information literacies.” (

Texts (Required)

• Egan, Jennifer. A Visit from the Good Squad. New York: Anchor Books, 2010. Print. ISBN: 9780307477477.
• Gibson, Scott Thomas, Tammy Lancaster, and Summar C. Sparks. Lenses: Perspectives on Literature. Plymouth, MI: Hayden-McNeil Publishing, 2013. Print. ISBN: 9780738051055.
• Krakauer, Jon. Into the Wild.New York: Anchor Books, 1996. Print. ISBN: 0385486804.
• Lawn, Beverly, ed. 40 Short Stories: A Portable Anthology. 4th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013. Print. ISBN: 9781457604751.
• Wharton, Edith. Summer. New York: Bantam Books, 1993. Print. ISBN:9780553214222.
• Blackboard Readings: Download, print, and read items marked (Bb) in the Course Schedule.

Materials and Online/Technology Requirements

• Note-taking materials (loose-leaf or spiral-bound notebook, writing instrument, etc.). NOTE: I will periodically ask you to write in class on a particular question and then share your responses.
• A binder, a set of folders, or whatever else will help keep your stories printed from Blackboard and class notes and papers organized. KEEP EVERYTHING so you can reference quizzes and papers to prepare for discussions and exams.
• Online access (via library or computer lab if a personal desktop or laptop is unavailable), iSpartan email account (checked daily), and Blackboard account (checked daily). All assignments, schedules, and course information will be posted to Blackboard. Check there first if you miss class, lose a handout, or have questions about an assignment. Contact me if the information you need is not on Blackboard and I will post it as quickly as possible.
• Printing Access. Please make sure to budget enough money to print all necessary documents to complete assignments and be prepared for class.

Course Requirements

Class Participation[SLOs 1, 3]

Class participation is defined as not only being present in class, but also being alert, actively participating in discussion and in-class activities, and being prepared with all the day’s course materials (bringing books/readings/assigned work). Please see the criteria for classroom participation listed below.

You will also sign up for four days when you will be a discussantfor the class. (Each one of these days should be for a separate author.) Your preparation for and participation in class discussions on your discussant days is part of your overall participation grade. While everyone should be participating in classroom discussions, discussants in particular are responsible for the following:

- Coming in with questions, topics, and passages you would like to discuss.

- Keeping class discussion moving when it slows down.

- Responding to comments and questions from your classmates.

- Making connections to ideas, questions, and readings from previous weeks.

Criteria for Classroom Participation

A / Superior communicative skills; excellent preparation for class/class discussion; always volunteers; listens and responds thoughtfully and courteously to others’ comments; student exemplifies mastery, rigor, and intellectual curiosity regarding course readings and concepts while also introducing relevant independent insights to the discussion; student demonstrates enthusiasm and takes initiative, particularly during group activities.
B / Good communicative skills; solid preparation for class/class discussion; consistently volunteers and makes meaningful contributions in group activities; student exemplifies interest and engagement regarding course readings and concepts; attentive during class; student demonstrates a positive
C / Adequate communicative skills; fair preparation for class/class discussion; occasionally volunteers; exemplifies competence regarding course readings and concepts; student demonstrates an inoffensive, but noncommittal attitude; generally attentive during class; sporadic contributions during
D / Limited communicative skills; uneven preparation for class; rarely volunteers; demonstrates indifference or irritation when prompted; inattentive during class; rare contributions during group activities. [Performance may be marked by other flaws: consistent tardiness, disruptive behavior, inappropriate use of electronics, completing outside work during class etc.]
F / Weak communicative skills; little to no preparation for class; little evidence of reading assignments (this can include not buying course texts or not making up missed material); never volunteers, or doesn’t respond when prompted; rarely attentive during class; demonstrates potential hostility to discussion; irrelevant, distracting, or no contribution to group activities.

Literary Analysis Essay [SLOs 1, 2, 3, 4]

For this essay, you will write a 5-page, double-spaced paper that will involve developing an argument and executing close, supported analysis of a literary text. No late papers will be accepted.

The week before your essay is due, you must bring in a draft of your essay (a minimum of two pages, which must include your thesis statement) and an outline for the rest of your paper for peer workshop.

If you do not bring in your assignment or do not attend peer workshop day, you can receive no higher than a “B” on your graded essay.

Midtermand Final Exam [SLOs 1, 2, 3, 4]

The midterm and final examinations will cover relevant theoretical and primary textual material from the course and will include identification, short answer, and short essays as the means of assessment. The final exam will only cover texts discussed since the midterm but will be cumulative in terms of literary terms and elements discussed throughout the semester. If you are not in class for an exam, you must make arrangements with me to take it BEFORE the exam date. If you miss an exam you will not be allowed to make it up after the rest of the class has taken the exam. (NOTE: Classroom policy is that cell phones and other electronics need to be off and away during class time; this is especially true during exams—if I see a cellphone or other electronic during an exam, you will receive a zero on the exam, so keep all electronics stored in your bag for the duration of the exam.)

Reading Quizzes [SLOs 1, 2, 3]

There will be weekly reading quizzes on Blackboard that I will announce in advance (see theCourse Schedule below). I may also give in-class impromptu quizzes as a means of assessment. Blackboard quizzes are open book and open notes. Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped at the end of the semester. Be aware that once a Blackboard quiz is closed, you will not be able to make it up.

Grade Distribution

Class participation 15%

Mid-Term Exam 20%

Final Exam 25%

Reading Quizzes 15%

Literary AnalysisPaper 25%

Total100%

Grading Scale

I utilize the full range of grades from A to F (including plusses and minuses) in keeping with University grading policies. Your final course grade will be based on the following components that make up your course work for the semester. UNCG defines an A as excellent; a B as good; a C as average; a D as lowest passing grade; and an F as failure. In adherence to this scale, you should understand that a C means you successfully met the requirements of the course, not that you did poorly, which would be indicated by a D or an F. Likewise, an A or B indicates that you met or exceeded course requirements.

A+ 97-100 C 74-76

A 94-96 C- 70-73

A- 90-93 D+ 67-69

B+ 87-89 D 64-66

B 84-86 D- 60-63

B- 80-83 F 59 or below

C+ 77-79

Course Policies

Academic Integrity Policy

Academic integrity is founded upon and encompasses the following five values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. Violations include, for example, cheating, plagiarism, misuse of academic resources, falsification, and facilitating academic dishonesty. If knowledge is to be gained and properly evaluated, it must be pursued under conditions free from dishonesty. Deceit and misrepresentations are incompatible with the fundamental activity of this academic institution and shall not be tolerated” (from UNCG’s Academic Integrity Policy). To ensure that you understand the university’s policy on academic integrity, review the guidelines and list of violations at I expect you to abide by the Academic Integrity Policy.

Any instance of plagiarism will result in failure of the assignment and may result in failure of the course, depending on the severity of the violation and the overall value of the assignment to the final grade. A second offense of any kind, including plagiarizing, falsifying information, or cheating, will result in failure of the course.Incidents of cheating and plagiarism are reported to the Dean of Students and sanctions are aligned with the policies at

Attendance Policy

Since this is a discussion-based class, it’s important that you attend all class meetings. If you do need to miss class, know you are responsible for making up the missed work, either by checking Blackboard or contacting a classmate. Per departmental policy, you are allowedfour absences without a grade penalty.Additional absences will be excused at my discretion and only in extreme circumstances (death in the family or severe illness, for example). In these cases, it is your responsibility to contact me ASAP and to provide proof or documentation (e.g., official documentation from the Dean of Students office or a doctor’s note). For every unexcused absence beyond the first four, you will lose one-third of a letter grade from your final course grade(e.g., a B+ would turn into a B).Students who miss eight classes will automatically fail the course. This means that you may have seven absences only; if you reach an eighth, you have failed. Keep in mind also that attendance at the final exam session is required.

It’s important also that you arrive on time. You will be counted as absent if you miss roll call unless you see me after class to confirm that you’re present.If you are more than ten minutes late or leave more than ten minutes early, you will be counted as absent regardless. Multiple tardies(or leaving class early) will negatively affect your class participation grade.

You are, by state law, allowed two excused absences due to religious holidays, which do not count toward your total allowed four absences. If you plan to miss class because of your faith, you must notify me at least 48 hours in advance of your absence.

Classroom Conduct

Students with disciplinary problems tend to be few and far between at the college level; however, if behavioral disruptions persist within a single class meeting (or, for that matter, across multiple meetings), the student in question will be asked to leave the class session with an absence for the day. Types of disruptive behavior can include any form of disrespectful comment or action directed toward me, another student, or the subject matter we are studying. I reserve the right to interpret inappropriate behaviors as I see fit and to address them accordingly; it goes without saying that remaining enrolled in my class is your tacit acknowledgment of this right. If I see the need to withdraw a student from the course because of disruptive behavior, I will follow the University’s disruptive behavior policy statement, which can be found here:

Email Response Policy

Email is the best way to reach me. You can reasonably expect I will respond to your email within forty-eight hours, excluding weekends and university holidays. However, if I have not replied to your message after forty-eight hours, please resend the message. It is good practice to treat email as a writing situation that reflects you as an individual. Use appropriate language and etiquette, and include your course number and section in the subject line. This does not mean emails have to be long and elaborate, but they should be moderately professional forms of communication with your instructor.

Late Work Policy

Assignments are due at the start of class on the day specified; otherwise, they are late. I do not accept late work, but I do accept early work. If you know ahead of time you are going to miss class when your assignment is due, please arrange to turn in your work early or have a classmate turn it in for you. I do not accept work via email.

Also, computer and printer problems do not count as emergencies. Please remember to frequently back-up your work, since computers crash unexpectedly, and this will not be an excuse for a late assignment. You should leave yourself plenty of time to get to a computer lab if your own equipment fails.

Submission of Work

All papers are to be double-spaced in 12pt Times New Roman font with 1-inch margins with appropriate works cited pages (MLA format) and stapled. Please include your name, course number and date that the assignment is due, as well as an original title. Please also always maintain a back-up copy of your assignments.

Technology Policy

Cell phones must be silenced (not on vibrate) or off in class and put away, and you should not text or receive calls while class is in session. All readings should be printed and brought to class, although you may bring laptops/tablets (NOT cell phones) only on days when the readings are posted online. Any student who uses a laptop/tablet for any activity not relevant to this course during class time will not be allowed to use the device in class again. If you have special circumstances that require you to use these technologies on a daily basis, please speak to me outside of class.

The first time you violate the technology policy, you will be given a warning. A second or subsequent violation will result you being counted absent for that day.

Additional Resources

Office of Accessibility Resources and Services

Students with documentation of special needs should arrange to see me about accommodations as soon as possible. If you believe you could benefit from such accommodations, you must first register with the Office of Accessibility Resources and Serviceson campus before such accommodations can be made. The office is located on the second floor of the Elliott University Center (EUC) in Suite 215, and the office is open 8am to 5pm, Monday - Friday. Telephone: 334-5440; e-mail: .

The Writing Center

The purpose of the Writing Center is to enhance the confidence and competence of student writers by providing free, individual assistance at any stage of any writing project. Staff consultants are experienced writers and alert readers, prepared to offer feedback and suggestions on drafts of papers, help students find answers to their questions about writing, and provide one-on-one instruction as needed. Located in the Moore Humanities and Research Building (MHRA), room 3211.

The Learning Assistance Center

The Learning Assistance Center offers free services to the entire UNCG undergraduate community and is located in McIver Hall, rooms 101-104, and 150. For help with study skills, contact Erin Farrior, Academic Skills specialist. Telephone: 334-3878; e-mail: .

Class Schedule

Key: L—Lenses, 40SS—40 Short Stories, Bb—Blackboard reading

Note: All reading should be done before the class time in which it is listed.

This schedule is subject to change at my discretion. Some activities, such as in-class quizzes and writing exercises, are not listed here and will be discussed/administered in class. Any changes to the schedule or due dates will be posted on Blackboard and emailed to you.