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Fall 2008 ENGL101-05, Gibson 127 & Gibson 400D
Mondays and Fridays, 9:00 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
Playgrounds and Playing Fields:
Childhood, Adulthood, and the Discourse of Play
Instructor: Dr. Michelle Beissel Heath
Email: [email protected]
Office: Norman Mayer 214
Office hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m., and by appointment
COURSE TEXTS:
J. M. Barrie’s Peter and Wendy
Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass
Wilkie Collins’ Man and Wife
Jasper Fforde’s The Big Over Easy
Diana Hacker’s A Writer’s Reference (6th edition)
Selected critical and other supplementary readings*
Selected film
*available through Blackboard
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
First and foremost, this course is about writing. We will use our explorations and considerations of our course theme (see
below) to help us develop, improve, and foster our own critical reading, critical thinking, and writing skills through
assignments – peer reviews, several short papers, and a lengthy research project and paper – meant to help us consider
our own roles as writers. We will pay special attention to the requirements of academic writing, which we will trace
through some of the published essays and critical texts we will read and which may be opposed to some of the more
“creative” or “fictional” sorts of writing we will read. We will work together to foster and enhance your understanding
and mastery of the conventions of academic writing and to help you comprehend more fully your own place in academic
conversations. In addition to having discussions of shared readings and writing experiences, we will often use class time
as a workshop for our own academic writing (primarily analytic, persuasive, research, and argument-oriented). We will
focus on how to generate and organize ideas, how to frame and support those ideas (including how to conduct and
navigate through research), and how to deliver them effectively – and with style – to academic and public audiences.
Overall, frequent writing assignments, peer reviews, and revisions will be a given: you will be writing or revising at least
one paper or piece of writing every week.
COURSE THEME:
Did you know that when croquet erupted on the social scene in the 1860s it was a scandalous sport? That lawn tennis,
polo, and cricket were seen as opportunities for colonial nations to show equality with their colonizers? That athletic
sports were once seen as morally corrupting? That children in Auschwitz in World War II played a game called “Going
to the Gas Chamber”? That the children’s game of “hot” and “cold” can be traced at least as far back as Dickens? That
recreation as we know it essentially originated in 19th century Britain? In this writing-intensive course we will explore
the history and discourse of play, the discourse of sports, games, and recreation, asking ourselves questions about the
roles and purposes of play, and the ways in which play affects our identities as children, adolescents, adults, citizens,
humans – and writers.
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of this course, you should be able to identify the elements of good writing, critically analyze and interpret the
course texts within the context of their periods, cultures, and our course theme (play), and demonstrate and apply the
critical reading and thinking skills gained through this interpretation in your written work. You should, moreover, be
able to explain the characteristics and conventions of academic writing, formulate an argument approaching or achieving
originality, undertake and deploy scholarly research to construct such an argument, and design, compose, and revise
academic papers to adhere to the characteristics and conventions of academic writing, including academic integrity.
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ASSESSMENT:
Your ability to successfully achieve the course’s objectives and learning outcomes will be assessed by your completion
of the following:
 Regular and meaningful participation in class discussions and activities (10% of your final grade)
 Composing and revising, through drafts, 4 papers of 4-6 pages in length demonstrating and following
the characteristics and conventions of academic writing (40% of your final grade)
 Regularly reviewing and fairly assessing the successes and challenges of peers’ drafts in achieving the
characteristics of, and following the conventions of, good academic writing (10% of final grade)
 Demonstrating, through a final presentation to the class, a 1-2 page proposal, and an annotated
bibliography, your research synthesis and argument creation skills and, through a final 12-15 page
paper, your success in achieving and sustaining the characteristics of, and adherence to the conventions
of, academic writing (35% of final grade)
 Analyzing and evaluating the writing resources available to you by creating a 1-2 page paper reflecting
on your experience(s) visiting the university’s writing studio (5% of final grade)
ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION: Class attendance is required, with limited excused absences (for example,
religious holidays). Please note, as a general rule of thumb, that two absences is often considered tolerable (this includes
absences for illness, religious holidays, and family obligations); however, even two absences may leave you at a severe
disadvantage with respect to class discussion, workshopping activities, etc. Class attendance and participation are
essential to class performance and will affect your final grade. Please note that if you miss 4 classes, your grade will
be lowered by a full letter; additional missed classes will result in failure of the course. If you must miss class for
any reason, be certain to tell me as soon as reasonably possible (before the missed class). Tardiness counts as a partial
absence; please make every effort to be on time as a courtesy to your fellow classmates.
I expect every person in this course to participate regularly. This may mean forcing yourself to speak, or being
considerate and allowing others the opportunity to speak. I will do my part by giving you plenty of opportunities to
participate, both in full-class discussions and small group discussions. By “participate,” I mean contribute to our
discussions in thoughtful, considerate, and engaged ways.
DUE DATES: Due to the frequent writing this course involves, late work is extremely discouraged. Accepting late work
is at my own discretion. If I choose to accept an assignment turned in late, I will drop your final assignment grade half a
letter for each class day the assignment is late (this drop will be retained even through revisions). Late papers will not be
returned promptly. If you find yourself struggling to make a due date, please see me as soon as possible; I may be
willing to consider an extension in extreme or particularly difficult circumstances.
GRADES AND GRADING: All writing (including peer reviews) and revising you do for this course – in-class and out –
will count towards your final grade, as will your attendance (as mentioned above), individual presentation, and any
quizzes. I reserve the right to administer pop quizzes, although I would prefer not to have to give them. All papers must
be type-written with all previous drafts, revisions, comments, and peer reviews attached. All papers must have a
works-cited, bibliography, or references page. THERE WILL BE NO FINAL OR MIDTERM EXAM.
Students who do not complete the course requirements (including attending all individual conferences with me), who are
consistently absent for class, or who violate other expectations of academic behavior (including academic integrity, such
as plagiarism) will receive the grade of an F for the class.
ASSIGNMENTS:
 Major Papers: You will be required to complete (through first and final drafts) 4 major papers (4-6 pages each)
throughout the semester. These will be based primarily on our readings and discussions, although your own research will
at times be required.
 Final Research Project: In addition to the above assignments, you will be required to complete a substantial original
research project related to the course’s theme (this project assignment will be handed out the first day of class). This
project will include a 1-2 page proposal, a brief annotated bibliography (with at least 5 entries), a 10 minute class
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presentation, and a 12-15 page final paper. We will attend a library session to further your research skills and assist
you in undertaking the project.
 Peer Reviews: You will be required to consider and comment upon the writing of your classmates throughout the
semester. You will do so both in writing and orally (to that classmate). Peer reviews are opportunities for you to
discover what other readers glean from your writing, as well as chances for you to gain insight through what your
classmates have written. Peer reviews are meant to help both you and your classmates in revising, and in considering a
broader scope of audience. Please be both courteous and sincere in your peer reviews: overly flattering, overly harsh,
and in general misleading advice, suggestions, or comments are not only unhelpful but can be extremely harmful.
 Writing Studio Paper: The Writing Studio is a valuable resource that many find helpful throughout their years at the
university; it is beneficial for you to see what services it can provide. As such, I will require you to visit the Writing
Studio at least once this semester. You may do so at any time in the writing process – from when you are first trying to
determine a topic to when you have a revised draft in your hands. After the initial visit, you may or may not visit again
as you so choose. Sometime shortly after your visit, you must turn in to me a 1-2 page paper reflecting on the
experience, and explaining in what ways the experience helped your writing and/or with what it could have helped your
writing more.
The Writing Studio is located in the Center for Educational Resources and Counseling (ERC), Building #14 (the
first floor of the Mechanical Engineering Building).
Appointments are recommended; please call 504.865.5103 to make an appointment.
Be aware that appointments fill quickly, especially at the mid- and end points of the semester.
CONFERENCES: There will be individual conferences periodically throughout the semester. These will be opportunities
for you to discuss your writing and revising one-on-one with me. Class will be canceled on conference days (or on a
nearby or later day) so that conferences can be scheduled at that time. Missing a conference will not be tolerated; I will
drop your final grade a full letter for a missed conference. If you miss multiple conferences, you will receive a grade of
an F for the course.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: This writing course is designed to teach you to write and research responsibly and ethically.
To learn strategies for researching, compiling, and presenting your arguments, you must complete all stages of the work
yourself: taking the words of others, or presenting the ideas of others as your own not only prohibits you from learning
the skills of academic research, it is a violation of the University’s Code of Academic Conduct. The University defines
such a violation as “any student behavior that has the effect of interfering with education, pursuit of knowledge, or fair
evaluation of a student’s performance.” This includes, as you can see at http://college.tulane.edu/code.htm, plagiarism,
cheating, fabrication, unauthorized collaboration, submitting the same paper or work to different instructors without the
permission of each instructor, sabotage, and helping another individual to commit academic dishonesty. False testimony,
improper disclosure, and tampering with academic records also constitute violations of the code. Please note that, for
this course, the minimum penalty for such offenses, whether on first or final drafts (or otherwise), is failure of the
assignment; an offense could also result in failure of the course. Bear in mind, too, that failing a course through a
code violation results in a notation on your transcript, that multiple violations typically result in expulsion, and that I
report all incidences of violation.
DISABILITY STATEMENT: Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability
should contact me privately to discuss specific needs. Please contact Disability Services (at ERC, 504.862.8433) for
more information, to establish eligibility, and to coordinate reasonable accommodations.
CELLULAR PHONES, ETC.: Please be considerate to your fellow classmates and turn cell phones and other potentially
disruptive electronic devices off before class, or leave them at home. This includes ipods and other audio/headset
devices, and even laptop computers.
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ENGL101-05 Syllabus – Fall 2008
MF 9:00 a.m.-10:50 a.m. Gibson 127 & Gibson 400D
**Subject to change by instructor**
Week
1: Getting Ready: Thinking
Seriously about Recreation
Date
Fri., 29 Aug.
2: Controversy, China, &
History: Play in the Past & the
Politics of Sports Today
3: Controversy, China, &
History: Play in the Past & the
Politics of Sports Today, take II
4. We Will Never Grow Up:
Child’s Play
5. But We Do Grow Up, Don’t
We?: Questioning Childhood
(and Adulthood) Through Play
6. But We Do Grow Up, Don’t
We?: Questioning Childhood
(and Adulthood) Through Play,
take II
7. Adulthood, Play, & Bad (?)
Writing
Mon., 1 Sept.
Fri., 5 Sept.
In Class
Introductions; syllabus, course
policies, and final paper
assignment distributed
LABOR DAY HOLIDAY
Discussion/Workshop
Mon., 8 Sept.
Fri., 12 Sept.
Discussion/Workshop
Discussion/Workshop
Paper #1 revisions
Barrie’s Peter and Wendy
Mon., 15 Sept.
Fri., 19 Sept.
Mon., 22 Sept.
Fri., 26 Sept.
Discussion/Workshop
Peer Review
Discussion/Workshop
SCREEN TIME
Mon., 29 Sept.
Fri., 3 Oct.
Discussion/Workshop
Discussion/Workshop
Barrie’s Peter and Wendy
Paper #2
Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Peer review write-up DUE VIA EMAIL
by 9 a.m.
Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass;
paper #2 revisions
Mon., 6 Oct.
Fri., 10 Oct.
Discussion/Workshop
Discussion/Workshop
8. Mystery, Mayhem, & Murder
(?): Adult’s Play
Mon., 13 Oct.
Discussion/Workshop
Fri., 17 Oct.
Discussion/Workshop
Mon., 20 Oct.
Discussion/Workshop
Fri., 24 Oct.
Mon., 27 Oct.
Fri., 31 Oct.
Mon., 3 Nov.
Library Session
Peer Review; **Conferences
this week**
Discussion/Workshop
Discussion/Workshop
Fri., 7 Nov.
Discussion/Workshop
12. Play, Childhood, & More
Meddling Adults: Language,
Literature, & Leisure, take II
Mon., 10 Nov.
Discussion/Workshop
Fri., 14 Nov.
13. It’s Our Time To Play:
Wielding Our Pens &
Sharpening Our Minds
14. It’s Our Time To Play:
Wielding Our Pens &
Sharpening Our Minds, take II
15: The End of the Game: Final
Good-byes and Final Papers
Mon., 17 Nov.
Fri., 21 Nov.
No class (in lieu of
conferences in October)
Peer Review
Presentations
9. Mystery, Mayhem, & Murder
(?): Adult’s Play, take II
10. Taking Time To Reflect &
Revise: Our Own Playing with
Words
11. Play, Childhood, & More
Meddling Adults: Language,
Literature, & Leisure
Mon., 24 Nov.
Fri., 28 Nov.
Mon., 1 Dec.
Fri., 5 Dec.
Fri., 12 Dec.
(noon)
Presentations
THANKSGIVING
HOLIDAY
Conferences (no class)
Presentations; wrap-up (last
day of class)
FINAL PAPER REVISIONS
DUE
Due
Paper #1
NO CLASS
Excerpts from games & sports manuals
Collins’ Man and Wife, first scene
Collins’ Man and Wife, second scene to
fourth scene
Collins’ Man and Wife, fifth scene to
seventh scene
Collins’ Man and Wife, eighth scene to
fifteenth scene
Collins’ Man and Wife, last scene &
epilogue
Preliminary final paper proposal
Paper #3
Fforde’s The Big Over Easy, chapters 1-14
Fforde’s The Big Over Easy, chapters 1529; revisions of paper #3
All of Fforde’s The Big Over Easy; final
paper proposal revisions and brief
annotated bibliography
Grammar and writing frustrations;
excerpts from Hacker
Paper #4
Final Presentations
Final Presentations; Paper #4 revisions
NO CLASS
Final paper
Final Presentations (if needed); Writing
Studio paper
**Final Paper Revisions due VIA
EMAIL by noon**
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ENGL101 -05 – PAPER #2
DUE: FRIDAY, 3 OCTOBER
REVISIONS DUE: MONDAY, 13 OCTOBER
We’ve spent (or will be spending) a few weeks reading and talking about Peter and Wendy, Alice’s Adventures
in Wonderland, and Through the Looking-Glass, and in those readings and discussions we’ve considered games
and play, children and adults, and various social and historical issues and concerns to which these “children’s”
texts call our attention. This assignment will allow you to explore some of these texts and topics in more detail,
using writing as a springboard of thought; it also asks you to pay considerable attention to the fundamentals that
contribute to much good academic writing: a convincing argument that brings in solid evidence (e.g.,
quotations, paraphrases from your chosen sources) both to support your claims and to dismiss potential
counterarguments, sound organization, a voice and style appropriate for your paper’s purpose, an awareness of
audience, and of course, polish. To complete this assignment, then, write a 4-6 page paper using one or more
of the texts we’ve discussed in class to undertake one of the following:
 Consider the depiction of one or more of the themes of the course we have considered to date: play,
games, sports, childhood, adulthood, identity, etc. If you choose this topic, you may wish to ask
yourself questions along these lines: what does it mean to be an adult in or for these texts? What does it
mean to be a child? How is play depicted in these texts? How do these texts define play? How is
gender portrayed? How is class portrayed? How is race portrayed? Are there strong similarities or
strong differences between these texts? What might account for these similarities and/or differences and
what is their ultimate significance?
 Respond to the arguments put forth by James Kincaid and/or Jacqueline Rose.
You can of course agree
or disagree to their (or parts of their) positions: if you agree, however, you must make clear how your
agreement adds something “new” to the conversation in which they are participating. If you disagree,
make sure you use solid evidence to refute Kincaid’s and/or Rose’s position: “I think children are
innocent because they are” or “I believe children don’t think like that” are not, for example, instances of
solid evidence. Belief and opinion have their place (and even circular reasoning might), but are not
arguments: someone cannot, for example, disagree with you that you believe something – only you
know what you believe.
 Analyze one or more film and written versions of these texts.
You must, however, ultimately make a
claim in your analysis (just saying that “there are similarities and differences” is not a claim and is
certainly not an argument – there are similarities and differences with regard to most things). You
should ask yourself what is similar and/or different about the film and written versions of one or more of
these texts, but you should also strive to account for those similarities and/or differences. Consider the
ultimate ramifications of those similarities and/or differences and ponder what they say about the text,
about the audience for the text, and/or about us or about us as a society.
 Consider the pictorial aspects of one or more of the texts we’ve examined thus far in relationship to the
written aspects. How, for example, might the illustrations to the text(s) add to or detract from it/them
and/or its/their meanings, purposes, audience appeal, etc.? How might the illustrations produce stories
of their own, and how do those stories compare to the written tale(s)?
 Explore, investigate, analyze, etc. another topic of your choice, relating in some way to one or more of
the texts we’ve read in class thus far.
All paper should be type-written, double-spaced, with 12 point “normal” font (i.e., Times New Roman),
and 1-inch margins. All papers should also have a bibliography or works-cited page, an attention-getting
title, and page numbers.
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ENGL101 -- FALL 2008
PAPER #3
DUE: MONDAY, 27 OCTOBER
**CONFERENCES WILL BE HELD THAT WEEK**
REVISIONS DUE: MONDAY, 3 NOVEMBER
We’ve spent the last few class periods digging into some of the details of Wilkie Collins’ Man and Wife. This
paper assignment asks you to continue that digging, to continue to look at the smaller aspects of the text to
make sense of the whole. As with our earlier paper assignments, this assignment also asks you to pay
considerable attention to the fundamentals that contribute to much good academic writing: a convincing
argument that brings in solid evidence both to support your claims and to dismiss potential counterarguments,
sound organization, a voice and style appropriate for your paper’s purpose, an awareness of audience, and of
course, polish. To complete this assignment, then, write a 4-6 page paper that does the following:
 Offers a close reading of a chosen a passage, chapter, or small section of Man and Wife to draw out a
larger theme or topic present in the novel as a whole.
Here are some hints to help: The best passages for close readings are not those that demonstrate simple
plot aspects, but those that are rich in details, with wonderful language uses, imagery, allusions,
symbolism, metaphor, etc. Good passages offer room for many questions, interpretations, and
possibilities: they are generally complex, and/or initially or seemingly confusing. Your goal in the paper
is to make sense of the passage in all its detail, complexity, and potential ambiguity, and then relate that
to some part of the novel as a whole. Your paper should be thesis-driven, and present a sustained, clear,
and original analysis of, and argument about, the passage and its relationship to the larger text. It should
point out along the way any allusions, language play, symbolism, juxtaposition, contradictions,
foreshadowing, etc. that you observe in the passage that are relevant to (i.e., demonstrate) your
argument. Since you will be looking at the passage in great detail, the paper itself should reference the
passage – quotations should be drawn directly from the passage – frequently; your paper will essentially
dissect the passage, breaking it apart for your reader, and then put it back together again in such a way as
to emphasize and organize your argument about the text as a whole.
Please note: if you so choose, you can conduct a “close reading” of the book’s cover materials (front
illustration and back summary) to suggest how they, for example, contribute to or detract from Collins’
actual novel. You must, however, consider the novel in its entirety here, too. Given the breadth of this
text, were these cover materials well-chosen?
Please, of course, do see me if you have any questions or concerns regarding this paper; I am more than happy
to help.
Please also remember the standard requirements for papers in this course: all paper should be type-written,
double-spaced, with 12 point “normal” font (i.e., Times New Roman), and 1-inch margins. All papers should
also have a bibliography, references, or works-cited page, an attention-getting title, and page numbers.
One final word of caution: Papers with more than 5 grammatical, spelling, or mechanical errors, that neglect
to provide a works cited, bibliography, or references page, or that do not meet the minimum 4-page requirement
will not be accepted.
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ENGL 101-05 FALL 2008
FINAL PROJECT/PAPER ASSIGNMENT
Final paper proposal (1-2 pages) due: Friday, 24 October
Revisions of final paper proposal and annotated bibliography (minimum 5 entries) due: Friday, 7 November
Presentation on project/paper: Friday, 21 Nov., Monday, 24 Nov., or Friday, 5 Dec. (as assigned)
Paper due in conferences the week of Monday, 1 December
Final Paper Revisions due: Friday, 12 December by noon (VIA EMAIL)
This final project will ask you to write a culminating 12-15 page paper that considers the sorts of playful activities and
concerns we’ll look at throughout the semester. To do so, you’ll need to choose and investigate for yourself some aspect of
these activities, some aspect of recreation, whether it be a sport, a game, an event (such as the Olympics, the World Cup, the
Superbowl, the World Series, etc.), or leisure pursuit (the “play” of reading, watching a film, going to a concert or play, etc.).
This investigation can be historical or cultural (or both), but must be critical and research-oriented. You can investigate the
cultural work accomplished by your chosen form of play, try to account for its popularity (or unpopularity), explore racial,
ethnic, gender, age-related, class, political, (post)colonial, and/or economic dimensions (etc.) of it, consider a scandal or
controversy surrounding it and the ramifications of that scandal/controversy, etc. The choice is yours, as long as your chosen
topic (and ultimate paper) ties in (somehow) with the overarching theme of the course – play – and as long as you deploy your
own scholarly research to make a persuasive, well-founded, well-supported, fact-based (rather than purely emotional) argument.
You must use a minimum of 5-7 scholarly sources, and your paper must include a bibliography, references, or workscited page. Pay especial attention to citing evidence – paraphrases, quotations, statistics – from your sources. Your paper
should be type-written, in a 12-point “regular” font (Times, Times New Roman, Ariel, etc.), with one-inch margins, doublespaced, and including page numbers and an attention-getting title.
Be reasonable in your choice of a research topic; I reserve the right not to allow you to write on certain topics, particularly
surrounding religious, political, or emotionally-sensitive issues.
 A preliminary 1-2 page final paper proposal is due for the project on Friday, 24 October. The reference library we
will be meeting with on that day will use your topics and beginning ideas to assist us in locating resources and refining our
university library skills. In the proposal, indicate what your current hypothesis or thesis is, what you expect your findings
and arguments will be, and how you intend to undertake your research. The proposal should roughly sketch out your
arguments and current organizational plans for the paper.
 A revised 1-2 page proposal and annotated bibliography for the paper is due on Friday, 7 November. Each
bibliography entry (you must have a minimum of 5 entries) should contain 4-5 sentences (or a short paragraph)
summarizing the content of the book, article, etc., explaining what its main argument or position is, and how it will prove
useful to your own (and others’ future) work. Be certain to list any notable drawbacks to each source (as relevant) as well.
 You will give a 10 minute presentation on your project during one of our last class days. Be as creative as
you like with the presentation. You are free (but not required) to bring in visual aids, handouts, video or audio clips, etc. (if
you need technological equipment not available in the classroom, please notify me at least a week before your presentation
and I’ll work out the arrangements). The presentation itself is open in form. All I ask is that you tell us what you have
chosen to research, why, and what your thesis and main arguments are (i.e., what your findings and conclusions are, or what
you’ve discovered through your research). Do not, however, just read from a portion of your paper – be aware of your
audience, and try to engage us as listeners.
Some Questions I Will Consider While Grading Your Final Paper:
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Is your paper at least 12 pages in length?
Do you account for multiple perspectives, interpretations, arguments, and/or audiences?
Do you provide meaningful connections (or purposeful disjunctions) between those perspectives, interpretations,
arguments, and/or audiences?
Is the context that you provide accurate and significant?
Do you make it clear why the information you present is important?
Is your own point – argument – clear?
Is the evidence you present comprehensive, compelling, and well-documented?
Is your organizational strategy effective?
Is your writing clear, coherent, cohesive, and yet complex?
Is your style effective for the topic and argument you present?
Does the paper fulfill the purposes of the assignment?
Is your paper polished and typo-free?