Lake-Sumter Community College Course Syllabus
Course / Prefix Number
LIT 2930
CRN:
20063
Credit:
3
Term:
Spring 2012
This course is problem-, issue-, subject-centered in its approach to the field of literature. It
provides an awareness of and appreciation for major themes and/or writers through an indepth study of specific literary works as they relate to the selected topic. Possible topics
include a Multicultural Approach to Literature, AML 2264, Comedy in Literature,
Shakespeare’s Tragic Vision, African-American Literature, Native American Literature, and
Myths, Legends, and Folktales. In addition to written exposition the course includes a
substantive unit on oral skills and oral communication.
Course Catalog
Description:
Course Title:
SCIENCE-FICTION IN LITERATURE
Reites
Contact Information:
352-536-2263
Office Hours:
Mon.& Wed.: 12:30-2:00,
3:30-4:00
Tues.: 10:30-4:30
Instructor:
Office Location:
2-230
All students are required to use LakerMail for official college e-mail communications.
See the college webpage for instructions on activating LakerMail.
Prerequisites:
Co-requisites:
Textbook and Other
Course Materials:
Technology and Online
Computer Access
Requirements:
C OR HIGHER IN ENC 1102
Science Fiction: Stories and Contexts Ed. Heather Masri; ISBN: 978-0-312-45015-1
This is a hybrid course, which means it is “a course with reduced seat time where a student
does not always physically attend class with a faculty member at a campus: At least 50% and
up to 80% of the course is delivered online with Blackboard” (LSCC Catalog). Also, significant online research is required
1.
Course Objectives:
(what the course will do)
2.
3.
Development of Composition Skills: Students will select an appropriate subject,
determine the purpose for writing, limit the subject, and formulate a thesis statement
which reflects the purpose of the essay. Students will develop each composition through
an introduction, topic sentences, supporting details, and a conclusion. In this course the
thesis will be an idea drawn from a work of literature. Students will revise, edit, and
proofread their essays to assure clarity, consistency, and conformity to the conventions of
standard American English. Students will develop an increased facility with word usage
and sentence structure. They will work toward conciseness and preciseness. Students will
review grammar and mechanics as problems arise in their compositions.
Knowledge of and practice with research techniques: Students will practice research
procedures and will demonstrate knowledge of citation and documentation.
Appreciation of Literature: Students will think critically, analytically, and logically and
will learn to work with the abstract ideas, as well as the concrete concepts. They will be
expected to analyze and interpret, as well as explicate the literature. Students will
develop an aesthetic and intellectual appreciation of literature through the study of
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selected short stories, poems, and dramas. Students will analyze conflict, character,
theme, point of view, setting, mood, tone, and symbolism. Students will demonstrate
competence in composition and literary analysis in essays and on examinations
1. To examine the historical, political, cultural, and personal contexts surrounding a writer’s
works and manifested within those works.
2. To examine the characteristics of the science fiction genre, in particular its attitudes towards race, gender, and class.
Student Learning
Outcomes (SLOs)
3. To develop an awareness of the complex interplay among divergent voices in literature,
Assessed in this Course:
discovering relationships among the literary past and present.
4. To recognize and understand literary conventions and themes within these works and to
become better readers of literature.
5. To develop skills in analysis, interpretation, and comparison of text and authors’ work.
(what the students take
with them beyond this
6. To think critically about the literature using several frameworks and to articulate responscourse)
es, interpretations, and arguments in writing.
7. To increase knowledge of and practice with research techniques and the use of MLA documentation.
8. To increase skills in oral communication
The successful functioning of the academic community demands honesty, which is the basis
of respect for both ideas and persons. In the academic community, there is an ongoing
assumption of academic integrity at all levels. There is the expectation that work will be
independently thoughtful and responsible as to its sources of information and inspiration.
Honesty is an appropriate consideration in other ways as well, including but not limited to the
Academic Integrity:
responsible use of library resources, responsible conduct in examinations, and the responsible
use of the Internet. (See college catalog for complete statement.)
In my class, consequences for plagiarism can range from a rewrite of the plagiarized
assignment and a deduction of the assignment grade to failure from the course. We will have a
class session early in the semester on what plagiarism is, how to avoid it, and what potential
consequences may be.
Any student with a documented disability who requires assistance or academic
accommodations should contact the Office for Students with Disabilities immediately to
Important Information
discuss eligibility. The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) is located on the Leesburg
for Students with
Campus, but arrangements can be made to meet with a student on any campus. An
Disabilities:
appointment can be made by calling 352-365-3574 and specific information about the OSD
and potential services can be found at www.lscc.edu, then go to “Quick Links” and click on
Disability Services.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR
Part99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of a student’s education records. In order for
Privacy Policy (FERPA):
your information to be released, a form must be signed and in your records located in the
Admissions/Registrar’s Office.
Attendance will be taken at each class meeting. You are allowed 2 absences. If you exceed 2
absences, failure is not automatic, but it is a strong probability. If you miss more than 25
minutes of class, you will be marked absent. If you come in late, and miss role, you will be
Attendance / Withdrawal marked tardy. It is your responsibility to let me know and mark you as present. Note: Missing
Policies:
multiple classes and being tardy affect students' class participation grades. Save your
absences for sickness or emergencies, and be advised: Students who have a fever should stay
at home to prevent the spread of illness. Students should not return to class until they have
been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of Tylenol or aspirin.
Withdrawal Deadline:
Friday, March 23
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Methods of Evaluation:
Grading Scale:
Assignment 1: Literary Analysis Essay 20%
Assignment 2: Literary Analysis Essay 20%
Assignment 3: Literary Analysis Essay/Creative Assignment 10%
Assignment 4: Critical Research Essay 25%
Presentation of a work 10%
Quizzes, rough draft workshops, and Discussion Questions (averaged) 10%
Class Participation 5%
90-100 A
80-89 B
70-79 C
60-69 D
0-59 F
Date
In-class Topics
Homework Due
Note: Unshaded blocks mean meet Homework is due the date listed
face-to-face. Shaded with
and by class start time.
Blackboard logo mean work on
Blackboard.
Week 1
1/9
Introductions
Syllabus
Presentation sign-up
Due 1/11 (for IN-CLASS
discussion): Read pgs. 1-10 and
“The War of the Worlds” in Science
Fiction
1/11
Meet in library 202B for
Blackboard walk-through
Bb scavenger hunt
Overview of Assignment 1: Literary
Analysis Essay
Presentation and discussion of
Introduction to Critical Theory,
Science Fiction, and Alien
Encounters: “The War of the
Worlds”
Due 1/18 (on Bb for before class
time): Read “Mars is Heaven,”
“Vaster Than Empires,” and
“Bloodchild” in Science Fiction and
take Reading Quiz #1
Week 2
1/16
1/16 Martin Luther King Jr. Day:
No school
1/18
Watch and listen to Power Points on
“Mars is Heaven,” “Vaster Than
Empires,” and “Bloodchild”
Complete Discussion Board posts
and comments on two works
Due 1/23 (on Bb before class time):
Posts and comments on “Mars is
Heaven,” “Vaster Than Empires,”
and “Bloodchild” in Science Fiction
Sample literary analysis
Thesis statements and org.
Conducting research
MLA review
Due 1/25 (on Bb before class time):
Read “The Second Sex,” “The
Shadow,” and “The Fact of
Blackness” in Science Fiction and
take Reading Quiz #2
Course Calendar:
Week 3
1/23
3
1/25
Week 4
1/30
2/1
Week 5
2/6
Due: Presentations of “The
Second Sex,” “The Shadow,” and
“The Fact of Blackness”
Discussion
Due 1/30 (on Bb before class time):
Rough drafts of Literary Analysis #1
Due: Rough drafts of Literary
Analysis #1
Give rough draft feedback to two
classmates
Due 2/1 (on Bb before class time):
Feedback to two peers on their
literary analysis
Watch and listen to Power Point on
Integrating Sources.
Due 2/6 (on Bb before class time):
Read “From Frankenstein,” “Liar!,”
and “Second Variety” and take
Reading Quiz #3
Due 2/6 (on Bb before class time):
Literary Analysis #1 final draft
Due: Literary Analysis #1 final
draft
Introduction to Artificial Life
Due: Presentations of “From
Frankenstein,” “Liar!,” and
“Second Variety”
Discussion
Due 2/8 (on Bb before class time):
Read “The Girl Who Was Plugged
In,” “Burning Chrome,” and “The
Precession of Simulacra” and take
Reading Quiz #4
2/8
Due: Presentations of “The Girl
Who Was Plugged In,” “Burning
Chrome,” and “The Precession of
Simulacra”
Discussion
Week 6
2/13
Complete Discussion Board posts
and comments on three works from
Artificial Life
Due 2/15 (on Bb by class time):
Discussion Board posts and
comments on three works from
Artificial Life
2/15
Read and listen to Power Points and Due 2/20 (IN CLASS): Rough drafts
documents on thesis statements and of Literary Analysis #2 (2 copies for
org., conducting research, and MLA workshop)
review
Week 7
2/20
Due: Rough drafts of Literary
Due 2/22 (on Bb before class time):
Analysis #2 (2 copies for workshop) Read “We,” “When it Changed,”
and “The Jigsaw Man” (file on Bb)
and take Reading Quiz #5
2/22
Introduction to Utopias and
Dystopias
Due: Presentations of “We,”
“When it Changed,” and “The
Jigsaw Man” (file on Bb)
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Due 2/27 (on Bb before class time):
Literary Analysis #2
Discussion
Week 8
2/27
Due: Literary Analysis #2 final
draft
Read “Something to Hitch Meat To”
and complete discussion post and
comments
2/29
Due 3/12 (on Bb before class time):
Read “Rappaccini’s Daughter,”
“Blood Music,” and “Driftglass” and
complete discussion post and
comments
Week 9
3/5 & 3/7
No classes: Spring Break
Week 10
3/12
Introduction to Evolutions
Due: Presentations of
“Rappaccini’s Daughter,” “Blood
Music,” and “Driftglass”
Discussion
3/14
Due: Presentations of “Bears
Discover Fire,” “Nonmoral
Nature,” and “Will Robots Inherit
the Earth?”
Discussion
Week 11
3/19
Due 2/29 (on Bb before class time):
Read “Something to Hitch Meat To”
and complete discussion post and
comments
Due 3/12 (on Bb before class time):
Read “Bears Discover Fire,”
“Nonmoral Nature,” and “Will
Robots Inherit the Earth?” and
complete discussion post and
comments
Read and listen to Power Points and Due 3/21 (on Bb before class time):
documents on thesis statements and Evaluated thesis statements
org. and creative assignments
3/21
Note: Friday, 3/23 is Withdrawal
deadline
Due 3/26 (IN CLASS): Rough drafts
of Literary Analysis #3 / Creative
Assignment (2 copies)
Week 12
3/26
Due: Rough draft Literary
Analysis #3 / Creative Assignment
(2 copies)
for rough draft workshop
Due 3/28 (on Bb before class time):
“There Will Come Soft Rains” (file
on Bb) and “The Nine Billion
Names of God” and complete
discussion post and comments
3/28
Overview of Assignment 4: Critical
Research Essay
Sample student essay
Introduction to Disasters and
5
Apocalypses
Due: Presentation of “There Will
Come Soft Rains” and “The Nine
Billion Names of God”
Discussion
Week 13
4/2
Read “The Nine Billion Names of
God” “The Terminal Beach,” and
“The Imagination of Disaster” and
complete discussion post and
comments
Due 4/4 (on Bb before class time):
Read “The Terminal Beach” and
“The Imagination of Disaster” and
complete discussion post and
comments
4/4
Compose two possible topics for
Critical Research Essay
Due 4/9 (on Bb before class time
AND bring a copy to class): Two
possible topics for Critical Research
Essay
Week 14
4/9
Meet in library for research day
4/11
TBA
Hand out photocopies of students’
favorite short stories
Due 4/16: (on Bb before class time):
Post rough draft of Critical Research
Essay
Post rough drafts of Critical
Research Essay
Due 4/18 (on Bb before class time):
Feedback to two peers
TBA
Due 4/23 (IN CLASS): Read two
classmates favorite science-fiction
stories
Week 15
4/16
4/18
Week 16 Due: Critical Research Essay
4/23
Late work/make-ups:
There will be no make-ups for missed classes or quizzes.
Classroom Rules and
Policies:
Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date. Late (more than 25 minutes)
assignments—ONLY the major papers--will be docked one letter grade for each day it is late
(includes weekends). Late papers will not be accepted more than 5 days after the due date.
All work should be submitted through Blackboard unless otherwise stated. Late homework,
quizzes, discussion posts, etc. will not be accepted.
It is your responsibility to contact a peer for any notes or homework assignments you may
have missed due to absences. If you cannot contact that peer, it is your responsibility to
contact me by phone or e-mail before the next class for any homework assignments.
Cell phones / laptops:
Laptops have proven to be a distraction in the past. Please do not use them in class.
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Please put your cell phones on vibrate / silent. I understand emergencies sometimes happen; if
you need to take a call, please walk quietly outside and quietly back in.
If you are text messaging during class, I will ask you once to stop. If I ask you gain, I will ask
you to leave.
Violence Statement:
Syllabus Disclaimer:
Being part of a community:
Our composition classroom is a community. Within it we are all learners. As we learn, we
often make mistakes or do not know the answers. Or perhaps we already think we know the
issues and disagree with others' opinions. Though civil discourse is prized in college,
discourse which intimidates or seeks to insult others will not be tolerated. This classroom
should be an open and safe place in which we navigate among ideas. Please help me make our
class an open and safe environment by showing care in your language and respect towards
others.
Lake-Sumter Community College has a policy of zero tolerance for violence as stated in
College Board Rule 2.17. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with
Board Rule 2.17.
Information contained in this syllabus is, to the best knowledge of this instructor, considered
correct and complete when distributed to the student. The instructor reserves the right, acting
within policies and procedures of Lake-Sumter Community College, to make necessary
changes in course content or instructional techniques without prior notice or obligation to the
student.
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