English Distance Education ENGL 1302 - Composition II Fall Second 8-Week Semester 2013 – Section # 64145 3-hour lecture course/48 hours per semester/12 weeks Instructor: Robert Lunday, Ph.D Instructor Contact Information: email in Eagle Online outside email: [email protected] Skype: robertlunday office phone: 713-718-7170 Office Location and Hours: Southeast College/Eastside campus by appointment Course Description: A more extensive study of the skills introduced in ENGL 1301 with an emphasis on critical thinking, research and documentation techniques, and literary and rhetorical analysis. Core Curriculum course. Note: This course will focus on literary analysis, specifically through the study of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Prerequisites: ENGL 1301 or a satisfactory score on the CLEP exam. Core Objectives Given the rapid evolution of necessary knowledge and skills and the need to take into account global, national, state, and local cultures, the core curriculum must ensure that students will develop the essential knowledge and skills they need to be successful in college, in a career, in their communities, and in life. Through the Texas Core Curriculum, students will gain a foundation of knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world, develop principles of personal and social responsibility for living in a diverse world, and advance intellectual and practical skills that are essential for all learning. Students enrolled in this core curriculum course will complete several essays, including at least one formal oral presentation, designed to cultivate the following core objectives: Critical Thinking Skills --to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information Communication Skills -- to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication Personal Responsibility- -to include the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making Teamwork- - to include the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal Student proficiency in communication skills will be assessed as a formal written out-of-class essay, which is at least 3 pages long and which includes an oral presentation component as well as a visual component. Student proficiency in Critical Thinking will be assessed by a formal out-of-class essay assignment, which includes critical analysis. Teamwork and Personal Responsibility will be assessed as part of a the second long unit or major essay assignment, which will include assigned reading responses, pre-writing activities, multiple drafts, and group activities (such as peer review or group presentations). Student project grades will account for at least 5% of the final course grade. Academic Discipline/CTE Program Learning Outcomes: Communicate ideas effectively through discussion. Employ research in academic writing styles and use appropriate documentation style. Analyze various genres of writing for form, method, meaning, and interpretation. Write in appropriate genres to explain and evaluate rhetorical and/or literary strategies employed in argument, persuasion, and various genres. Write in appropriate genres using varied rhetorical strategies. Student Learning Outcomes for this course: To successfully complete 1302, you will: Apply basic principles of rhetorical analysis. Write essays that classify, explain, and evaluate rhetorical and literary strategies employed in argument, persuasion, and various forms of literature. Identify, differentiate, integrate, and synthesize research materials into argumentative and/or analytical essays. Employ appropriate documentation style and format across the spectrum of in-class and out-of-class written discourse. Demonstrate library literacy. 2 Student Assessments: Forum Posts: You will write and submit several responses to assignments that will be posted to a specific forum on our class site. Some of these will be in response to questions about our reading of Hamlet. Others will be process-oriented exercises in preparation for the research essay you will write. All are described in detail below, in the “Schedule of Assignments” section of this Syllabus. I will provide supplemental lectures and handouts to help you with each assignment. Hamlet Critical-Research Essay Draft: You will write a research-based essay in which you offer a focused, specific, interpretive argument about some aspect of the play, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare. All the work in this course is geared toward helping you write that essay (see below). This draft assignment will be the trial run; it should come as close as you can get it to being finished, with the understanding that it is a draft, and that you are not finished yet. I will comment on the draft, and students will comment on each other’s drafts. When you submit the essay, send it to the Assignments link as an attached file. Name the file lastname_firstname_draft.rtf. That is, “Save As” and choose “”rich text format.” Make sure you have used MLA format guidelines; look up how to use MS Word (or Works, or Open Office, etc.) for spacing, setting margins, inserting running headers, page breaks, changing font size and type, etc. Hamlet Critical-Research Essay: Next, you will revise and re-submit a ready-for-prime-time version of the essay; the culmination of the entire course! It should have a minimum of five sources; at least two should be print books, and the others should be scholarly articles found in the HCCS Library databases. There are TWO exceptions: you can use film reviews, which are often available on the open Internet; and, if you find an open-Internet source that you feel is of scholarly quality, you can send me the link and ask permission to use it. Although there are many wonderful things on the Internet, this project is mainly to train you in the use of traditional academic materials. So, I will look skeptically on much that you might find useful in simply Googling “Hamlet.” Wikipedia is a wonderful source, and I recommend using it for “grounding” yourself, but it is not an acceptable scholarly resource (though it might point your toward them). Also, eNotes, SparkNotes, and the innumerable other such sites are generally too inconsistent in quality to be acceptable for a formal academic project. The finished essay must be at least 1800 words long, not counting the Works Cited. It must be formatted using MLA guidelines – accurately and consistently. You should construct an argument about some aspect of the play. I will provide written lectures and other forms of guidance along the way, but essentially, you should not try to explain the whole play; instead, you might focus on one character, one scene, or one clearly-defined and 3 narrowed theme of the play. You will argue in some manner about how one should properly understand or interpret the play; or about how some aspect of the play “works” or functions. We will study critical discourse about the play; you will be essentially imitating the patterns, gestures, and language of literary critics in this essay. You must cite all research, using MLA guidelines. You must clearly distinguish between paraphrase and quotation. You must write clear prose, and construct unified, cohesive paragraphs. When you submit the essay, send it to the Assignments link as an attached file. Name the file lastname_firstname.rtf. That is, “Save As” and choose “”rich text format.” Make sure you have used MLA format guidelines; look up how to use MS Word (or Works, or Open Office, etc.) for spacing, setting margins, inserting running headers, page breaks, changing font size and type, etc. Lateness Policy: All weekly assignments are due before midnight each Sunday. The final essay, however, will be due FRIDAY in Week 8. If you cannot submit an assignment on time, you MUST request permission to submit late BEFORE the deadline has passed. If you request permission, I will in most cases then accept a late assignment (up to one week late), but will give less credit. A sincere, on-time effort will earn at least 80%; a good, insightful, well-written one will come closer to 100%. HCC Grading Scale: A 90-100%: Sophisticated level of understanding; exceptional written work (superior in mechanics, style and content). B 80-89%: Above-average level of understanding; excellent written work (superior in one or two of mechanics, style and content). C 70-79%: Average understanding of basic concepts; good written work. D 60-69%: Below average understanding; written work noticeably weak in mechanics, style or content. F 0-59%: Failing; clearly deficient in understanding, mechanics, style and content. I will describe the assignments in general further down in this section. They will each be described in further detail in the appropriate links on EO. All major essays must be turned in in order to pass this course. Grading Criteria: Here is how the final course grade is determined: Forum Posts and Glossary Entries Hamlet Critical-Research Essay Draft: Hamlet Critical-Research Essay: 50% 20% 30% 4 (Note: There are no exams in this course, and there are no on-campus final essays or exams—the above work determines the final grade.) Instructional Materials: We will use online versions of Hamlet, and various online secondary materials. You will need to visit a library for print texts. However, there is no print textbook to purchase for this course, although you might want to acquire a print version of the play (optional). Recommended Text: The Little, Brown Handbook or any college English handbook with chapters on grammar, rhetoric, and research writing, including MLA guidelines. Other Materials: A USB flash drive (memory stick) or CD. It is important for you to save all your work for this class on an external drive, NOT on your computer's hard drive. Computers crash, so if you have your work saved on a USB flash drive, all won't be lost. Failure to turn in assignments because you did not save your work to a reliable source such as a USB flash drive is not acceptable or excusable. A good university-level dictionary and thesaurus. I expect a college-level understanding and use of the English language from you, so having these will help you greatly as you read and write. HCCS Policies: Access Student Services Policies at the following web site: http://hccs.edu/student-rights Students are responsible for all information in the Student Handbook and in other important documents found on the above web site. NOTE: The withdrawal deadline for the Fall 2013 (2nd 8-week) semester is Friday, November 22, 4:30 pm. Distance Education Policies: Access DE Policies on their Web site: All students are responsible for reading and understanding the DE Student Handbook, which contains policies, information about conduct, and other important information. For the DE Student Handbook click on the link below or go to the DE page on the HCC website. 5 The Distance Education Student Handbook contains policies and procedures unique to the DE student. Students should have reviewed the handbook as part of the mandatory orientation. It is the student's responsibility to be familiar with the handbook's contents. The handbook contains valuable information, answers, and resources, such as DE contacts, policies and procedures (how to drop, attendance requirements, etc.), student services (ADA, financial aid, degree planning, etc.), course information, testing procedures, technical support, and academic calendars. Refer to the DE Student Handbook by visiting this link: http://de.hccs.edu/de/de-student-handbook EGLS3 -- Evaluation for Greater Learning: At Houston Community College, professors believe that thoughtful student feedback is necessary to improve teaching and learning. During a designated time, you will be asked to answer a short online survey of research-based questions related to instruction. The anonymous results of the survey will be made available to your professors and division chairs for continual improvement of instruction. Look for the survey as part of the Houston Community College Student System online near the end of the term. Tutoring: Tutoring in English is available at some HCCS campuses. In particular, Central, Southeast, and Northeast College provide tutoring. At Southeast College, we have a Writing Center with trained tutors; visit the online appointment system at http://wcappt.se.hccs.edu/login/students.aspx Contact the other colleges for times and procedures. I highly encourage you to take advantage of the tutoring services available to you. Askonline: AskOnline is an online tutoring service that you can use. I highly recommend that you use a combination of in-person tutoring that is available on various campuses as well as AskOnline. There is a link to AskOnline on the Eagle Online home page, or you can access it by visiting this link: http://hccs.askonline.net. AskOnline tutors can help you with grammar as well as other aspects of your essay— however, they will look at only ONE draft of the essay. Open Computer Labs: HCCS has MANY computer labs. I encourage you to contact the campus closest to you. You may need to register at particular labs to use their computers — have your ID ready. [Schedule of Assignments follows] 6 Schedule of Assignments: All written responses should be posted to the appropriate Eagle Online Forum before midnight Sunday each week. Week 1 (Monday, October 21 – Sunday, October 27) Say something about yourself on the "Introductions" forum before the end of Week One; this will be how you register your "active participation" in the course before the attendance report is sent to the Registrar. Read Hamlet, Acts I and II: go to this link http://shakespeare-navigators.com/hamlet/ (the above version has line numbers) or here: http://shakespeare.mit.edu/hamlet/full.html or here: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/27761/27761-h/27761-h.htm or search for alternative online versions; or, find any print version at a bookstore such as Half Price Books or online, at Amazon or elsewhere. You can find versions suitable for a Kindle or tablet, or even your Android or iPhone. Note: you can easily search online versions of the play. Type CTRL + F to find any word or words on the open Web page. After reading Acts I and II, write responses to one or more of the questions below and post them to the “Hamlet Acts I & II” forum. This week and next week, you will make such responses as we read the play. I am interested in your own responses to these questions; you don’t need to discover the answers online somewhere, because I will give you at least 80% for a sincere response of your own, anyway. True, a thoughtful, well-written response will gain more points; but uncited, plagiarized sources will gain you a zero, and possibly removal from the course with an F. 7 If you want to use sources, you can (as not in the formal essays) use open-Internet as well as formal academic sources; but CITE them properly! That is one of the most important aspects of this class. In your responses, try to make precise, economical use of illustration from the play. That is, after your interpretive proposition, segue into a short passage from the play – one word, or a set of lines – that illustrate your proposition. Write a minimum of 200 words for your responses each time. You can respond to one or more of the following questions; you do not need to respond to all questions. You can spread your thoughts out, in other words, through two or more questions about more than one act; or, you can focus narrowly but deeply on one question. Act I: 1. Consider the play’s opening – Scene 1. What is the mood? How does it contrast with the mood in Scene 2? 2. From his initial speech to the court, what kind of man, monarch, husband, and uncle/stepfather is Claudius? 3. What kind of woman/Queen/widow/mother is Gertrude? 4. Study Hamlet’s first soliloquy (“O, that this too, too solid flesh…”). How do you explain his emotions and thoughts in clear, 21st-century English? 5. How would you characterize the relationship between Polonius and his son Laertes, and his daughter Ophelia, and between Laertes and his sister Ophelia? 6. What in the words of the Ghost seem to support the truth if the spirit’s claims? Does anything about the scene seem ambiguous or doubtful? Act II: 1. Considering the Act I question about the relationship between Polonius and Laertes, what does Act II, Scene 1 add to your sense of that relationship, and what might it tell us of Polonius’ true character? 2. Study Ophelia’s account of Hamlet’s behavior: what evidence do you see for Hamlet’s being mad, melancholy, in love, ambitious, scheming, a performer, or perhaps just a prankster – or any combination, or some other characterization? 3. Five a verbal portrait of Polonius thus far: as father, courtier, counselor, speechmaker, etc. What is his role in the play, or in the dynamics of the play? 4. How would you characterize the relationship between Claudius and Gertrude? 5. Study Hamlet’s behavior in his responses to Polonius, and also in his responses to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern – with reference, as you like, to anything so far in the play that informs your understanding of Hamlet as a man. 6. Study Hamlet’s behavior and words in the scene after the arrival of the Players. How does it add to your understanding of his character – his moods, his ethical self, his sensibilities – anything. 8 7. Study the next soliloquy (“O, what a rogue and peasant slave…”); looking back at the first soliloquy, how does this passage advance our understanding of Hamlet’s mind? Next, submit three Glossary entries; choose words from the “Hamlet-Related Terms and Concepts” list found on the “Lectures, Handouts, and Announcements” forum. Do not do any terms other students have already entered; first come, first served. So, if one of your choices is already entered, go back and find another term on the list. Provide a citation for your source(s). Next, find a web site relevant to Hamlet or Shakespeare on the Internet; Post a link and a minimum-50-word review of the site to the “Hamlet Web Sites” forum. Use the “Web Site Review” template on the “Lectures, Handouts, and Announcements” forum. Week 2 (Monday, October 28 – Sunday, November 3) Read Hamlet, Acts III, IV, and V: respond to the following questions on the “Hamlet: Acts III, IV, & V” forum. Act III: 1. Hamlet is “set up” in Act III, Scene 1. Study the dynamics of this entire scene: the roles played by Claudius, Polonius, Ophelia, and – by her absence, for the most part – Gertrude. In particular, of course, study Hamlet’s treatment of Ophelia, and her responses. What kind of man is he, so far, including this new evidence? 2. Prior to Hamlet’s encounter with Ophelia Hamlet soliloquizes again (“To be, or not to be…”). These are the most famous words in the play, among the most famous words in all of Shakespeare, and perhaps among the most famous words in the English language. Once again, looking back at the earlier soliloquies, what do we learn about Hamlet’s mind, mood, emotions, ethos – any aspect of the man you can name. 3. In Scene 2, we have the “play within a play.” We have also a great deal of talk from Hamlet: toward the Players, as well as Horatio and Ophelia. How does this evidence add to your dossier on his character? 4. Study “The Mousetrap” (the play within the play), and the way it is framed within the play: now, stepping back a bit, out of the play itself, consider Shakespeare’s purposes in constructing such a recursive scene. Why is the play within the play included, besides (perhaps) providing hamlet, or us, with evidence of Claudius’ guilt (if it does)? 5. Study Hamlet’s treatment of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern: he “plays” with them, but then gets rather serious. Consider, at this stage, looking back through the play, the essential figures (metaphors, figures of irony, symbols, images, etc.) that hamlet resorts to in his language. 6. Study Claudius’ soliloquy in Scene II (“O, my offence is rank…”). What does this add to your dossier on his character; what kind of man is he? 9 7. What are we to make of Hamlet’s deferral of revenge in the chapel scene; why does he not kill Claudius? Think not only of the reason he gives, but of Shakespeare’s reasons for constructing the character and the play in this way. 8. Scene 4, the Queen’s bedroom: we have Hamlet’s rough treatment of his mother, and the murder of Polonius. What more do we learn to add to our dossier on Hamlet? What little do we learn to add to our dossier on Gertrude herself? Act IV: 1. Study Hamlet’s “playing” (his use of language) when Claudius interrogates him about the murder of Polonius and the location of the corpse. Look back at other occasions when Hamlet has resorted to puns and other tropes, such as when he “played” with Polonius in Act II. Thinking both of Hamlet’s sense of truth in the world he inhabits, and of Shakespeare’s own sense of his world, our world (though centuries later), comment on the possible relationship between language and truth, or words and material reality; as you see it, as you believe Hamlet sees it, and as Shakespeare seems to see it. 2. Scene 4: We have another soliloquy by hamlet (“How all occasions do inform against me…”). Two questions: how does this add into the version of Hamlet’s mind that the soliloquies combined, but by themselves, provide us up to this point? And, within the frame of this scene, in which we see (though at a distance) Fortinbras, heretofore only referred to: what does the Norwegian prince’s role seem to be in the play up to this point? 3. Hamlet sends letters, one to Horatio, in which he says: Let the king have the letters I have sent; and repair thou to me with as much speed as thou wouldst fly death. I have words to speak in thine ear will make thee dumb; yet are they much too light for the bore of the matter. What might his “words to speak in thine ear” be, that are so significant? Look ahead to the end of the play: do we ever hear these words, or otherwise learn what it is that has stirred Hamlet during his adventure at sea? 4. Scene 7 presents two key events: in one, Ophelia appears, driven mad it seems; then, off-stage, she drowns, and Gertrude speaks of it in a small speech to Laertes (“There is a willow…”). Second, Laertes, having returned with violence in mind toward the King, is turned by the King against Hamlet. How do these two elements of the plot, such as they instruct us more about each key character (Claudius, Gertrude, Ophelia, Laertes, and Hamlet) work together? 10 Act V: 1. Linguistically, Hamlet meets his match in the Graveyard scene. Thinking back to Question 1 for Act IV, comment more on the relationship between language and truth from what we learn in this scene. Consider the “memento mori” aspect. 2. Hamlet says, after struggling with Laertes in the grave meant for Ophelia: I loved Ophelia: forty thousand brothers Could not, with all their quantity of love, Make up my sum. What wilt thou do for her? Comment on Hamlet’s “love” for Ophelia, based on this and previous evidence in the play, and her overall role in the play. 3. Laertes is, like Fortinbras, the figure of Pyrrhus presented earlier in the Player’s speech (Act II, Scene 2), and Hamlet himself, a son who has lost a father to violence. Looking at his role in the play so far, and perhaps leaping ahead to his final words in Act V, compare Laertes as a man to Hamlet and these other sons. 4. The murderous scheme of Claudius and Laertes is set; Hamlet accepts the offer of friendly swordplay. Horatio advises against it; hamlet replies thus: Not a whit, we defy augury: there's a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the readiness is all: since no man has aught of what he leaves, what is't to leave betimes? The “sparrow is a Biblical allusion (Google it to find the passage in St. Matthew). Again, to our dossier: what is Hamlet'’ state of mind at this point – or the state of his spirit? What might it to do with his experiences at sea, and all that has occurred so far, and all that he has said? 5. Complete your dossier on Claudius after examining his choice, or his lack of action, as Gertrude drink from the poisoned cup. What might have been his purposes, all along; from what qualities as a man? 6. Look at Hamlet’s last words, spoken to Horatio; first, these: O good Horatio, what a wounded name, Things standing thus unknown, shall live behind me! If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart Absent thee from felicity awhile, And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain, To tell my story. Then, these: O, I die, Horatio; 11 The potent poison quite o'er-crows my spirit: I cannot live to hear the news from England; But I do prophesy the election lights On Fortinbras: he has my dying voice; So tell him, with the occurrents, more and less, Which have solicited. The rest is silence. Conclude your dossier on Hamlet, the man, prince, son, would-be king, soldier, scholar, lover, murderer, and all that he is: what actions does he seem to make as very-temporary ruler of the land, and what do his words and decisions signify, within the context of the play as it reaches its end? 7. Fortinbras, who has been spoken of, scene from a distance, and instigated a soliloquy of Hamlet’s, now takes center stage and speaks – of Hamlet, as well as his own circumstances. Why does the play end with Fortinbras? How does he contrast with Hamlet, and what does he stand for – as a man? Next, after reading the “Research Fundamentals” lecture on the “Lectures, Handouts, and Announcements” forum, find a scholarly article about Hamlet using the HCCS Library databases. Write a minimum-150-word summary of the article and provide a properlyformatted citation; post to the “Hamlet Scholarly Article” forum. Use the “Article and Monograph Summary” template on the “Lectures, Handouts, and Announcements” forum. Also consult the MLA online sources or any print MLA resource on proper citation format. Week 3 (Monday, November 4 – Sunday, November 10) Submit a Research Proposal to the “Hamlet Research Proposal” forum. This is simply a sentence or two that describes your projected focus, topic, argument – the direction you want to go with your essay. Submit a Working Bibliography to the “Working Bibliography” forum. Use MLA format guidelines for your entries. You must have at least eight sources listed; three must be books, and the others must be scholarly articles found in the HCCS Library databases. See the assignment description above for the “Hamlet Critical-Research Essay” for further details and exceptions. Find a print book on Hamlet – a monograph or a collection of essays. Scan and browse the book (you don’t need to read the whole thing); write a minimum-150-word summary of the book, or of a particular chapter or essay in the book, and provide a properlyformatted citation. Post to the “Hamlet Print Book” forum. Use the “Article and Monograph Summary” template on the “Lectures, Handouts, and Announcements” forum. Also consult the MLA online sources or any print MLA resource on proper citation format. 12 Week 4 (Monday, November 11 – Sunday, November 17) Find and watch one film version of Hamlet. See the “Hamlet on Film” handout on the Lectures, Handouts, and Announcements” forum. Write a minimum-150-word review (not a summary) of the film and post to the “Hamlet Film Review” forum. Use the “Film Review” template found on the Lectures, Handouts, and Announcements” forum. Week 5 (Monday, November 18 – Sunday, November 24) Write a sample research-essay paragraph (at least half a page, double spaced) and submit to the “Research-Essay Paragraph” forum. See the “How to Cite and Respond to a Source” lecture on the “Lectures, Handouts, and Announcements” forum. Find a passage from a critical article or book on Hamlet. The simplest way is to find an html or pdf article through the Library databases; if you have access to a scanner (which might include an app on a smartphone), you can scan from a print source. (NOTE: I will give extra credit to anyone who scans and annotates a print source! Email me for details.) Copy and paste the passage (it might be a page, or several pages) into your wordprocessing software. Annotate (or “gloss”) the passage; see the “How to Annotate a Passage” handout on the “Lectures, Handouts, and Announcements” forum. Use a passage long enough to provide at least five annotations. What should you note? Briefly tell us in each annotation what the author is doing. Respond, characterize, refute, extend, illustrate – have a dialogue with the author. Post this as a file attachment to the “Annotated Article” forum. Last day for Withdrawals: Friday, November 22, 4:30 pm. Week 6 (Monday, November 25 – Sunday, December 1) Submit your Hamlet Critical-Research Essay draft to the “Hamlet Critical-Research Essay Drafts” forum before midnight Sunday. Week 7 (Monday, December 2 – Sunday, December 8) Write a minimum-100-word Peer Response to another student’s essay on the “Hamlet Critical-Research Essay Drafts” forum; choose someone who has not received a response yet. Post your Peer Response as a reply to the original forum post. Use the “Peer Response” template found on the “Lectures, Handouts, and Announcements” forum. Revise your essay; reflect on my comments, after I have posted them, but feel free to start the revision beforehand. EGLS3: Go to the link given on the web site to evaluate your instructor. 13 Week 8 (Monday, December 9 – Friday, December 13) Submit your Hamlet Critical-Research Essay to the Assignments link by FRIDAY (not Sunday), December 13, before midnight – no grace period. 14
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