AFRICAN LITERATURE: ENGLISH 226
Dr. Lori Duin Kelly
MacAllister 216: M W F 11:30-1:00; other times by appointment
262 524 7263 (office phone); please call or contact me by email if you have to miss class
[email protected]
This class meets MWF, 1:20-2:30 in RK 206
Course Goals
To develop an understanding of African culture through literature.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
1) distinguish between shared and different cultural traditions within African literature
2) identify key historical events in African history and their contributions to emerging cultures
3)describe and explain how events in the past continue to impact the lives of contemporary Africans today
4)explain the role socioeconomic factors such as education and economic empowerment play in Africa today
5)craft an informed and thoughtful ethical response to the issues facing individuals residing in Africa today
Assignments/Assessment:
To demonstrate mastery of learning outcomes, students will:
1) rewrite their initial intake essay on perceptions of Africa in light of course readings and discussions; (learning
outcomes 1,3,4, 5; 400 pts)
2)write periodic exams on readings/issues raised in the course; (learning outcomes 1,2; 400 pts)
3) organize and present to their classmates a presentation on some particular aspect of African life/culture not
formally addressed in class; (learning outcomes 3, 4, 5; 200 pts)
4)participate in class or online discussions; (learning outcomes 3, 4,5; 100 points)
Grade scale: There are a total of 1100 points in the course. Letter grades break down as follows:
A=1023-1100
A/B=990-1022
B=913-989
B/C=880-912
C=770-879
D=660-769
F=<660
Housekeeping Details:
All students should be regular in attendance and be prepared for daily class discussion.
Absences in excess of four, excused or not, may result in a lowering of the final overall grade by a full letter, a
report to the retention office, and, if it is so determined by them that you be readmitted to the course, your
execution of a persuasive essay arguing for same (no guarantees).
.
Make up exams are at the discretion of the instructor.
Disabilities statement: Students with documented disabilities who may need accommodations or any student considering obtaining documentation should make an appointment with Ms. Martha Bledsoe, Director of Services for Students with Disabilities, no later than the first week of class. She can be reached by calling 262-­‐524-­‐7335 or contacting her via email at [email protected]. Statement of the right to modify course content: The instructor and the University reserve the right to modify, amend, or change the syllabus (course requirements, grading policy, etc.) as the curriculum and/or program require(s). Statement of due notification: The Carroll University Academic Integrity Policy is located in your student handbook. I encourage you to familiarize yourself with it. If a student violates this policy in any way, I reserve the right to impose a sanction of failure on the assignment/assessment or failure in the course. If you have questions about appropriate citations, please ask. That said, here’s hoping for an enriching semester studying this fascinating continent and its diverse
narratives!
Required texts:
Kaffir Boy, Mark Mathabane
July's People, Nadine Gordimer
God's Bits of Wood, Sembene Ousmane
A River Between, Ngugi
The Joys of Motherhood, Buchi Emecheta
Bloodknot and Other Plays, Athol Fugard
Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe
In addition, there are additional required readings mounted on electronic reserve available through the
library website under English 226. These are identified in the syllabus.
Tentative Syllabus:
September
F 6 Introduction to the course; what are your stereotypes of Africa? Where did you acquire them? For homework for
next class, look up a website dealing with the Hottentot Venus and come to class with your conclusions. Here's one
to get you started:
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Hottentot+Venus&view=detail&mid=E1D3B9290F86D9C42B06E1D3B929
0F86D9C42B06&first=0&FORM=NVPFVR&qpvt=Hottentot+Venus
Highlight and copy and paste into your browser to access
Thematic Thread: Impact of Apartheid
M 9 - Blood Knot, have complete play read; pictures of apartheid.
W11 Continue discussion of same.
F 13 In same text, Boesman and Lena; issues involving homelessness and ownership, of losing personal possessions
Thematic Thread: Race Matters (no pun)
M 16-F 20 Kaffir Boy; we'll only be reading parts I and II, so plan your study time accordingly.
M 23 Exam I: covers material read to date
Thematic Thread: Impact of Race Codes on Whites and Blacks
W 25 On electronic reserve: "Unpacking White Privilege"
F 27 Begin discussion of July’s People
M 30 Continue discussion of July's People
October
W 2-F 4 Continue discussion of July's People. If time permits, Film on Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Turning East: Kenya
Thematic Thread: Tribalism, Colonialism, Women’s Lives and Cultural Identity
M 7 On electronic reserve, "Arrogant Perceptions;" film on African genital surgery
W 9 Kenya in pictures; begin discussion of River Between
F 11 Continue discussion of River Between
M 14 Presentations on aspects of African Life
W 16 Presentations on aspects of African Life
F 18-M 22 Fall Break!!!!!No classes.
W 23 Exam II: covers material read since last exam
F 25 TBA
Thematic Thread: Child bearing, medical issues
M 28 Begin discussion of Joys of Motherhood
W 30 Continue discussion of Joys of Motherhood
November
F 1 Conclude discussion of Joys; Nigerian Internet Dating Sites; lecture presentation
Thematic Thread: Infertility and Female Empowerment
M 4-F 8 God’s Bits of Wood
Week of November 11-15, student presentations
Thematic Thread: Impact and Obligations Surrounding Colonialism
M 18-F 22 Things Fall Apart
M 25 Exam III: covers materials since last exam
W 27-F 29 Thanksgiving break. Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Moving North: Islamic Culture
December:
M 2 Film: The Day I Became a Woman; on electronic reserve, “She Was Weaker”and “My Mother, My Mother-inLaw”, “My Father Writes to My Mother;” issue of gendered spaces as configured in architecture; status as
configured in language
W 4-W 11 Student presentations; rewrite
of intake essay due 12/11.
* All readings and assignments are subject to revision. Students will be notified of any changes to this syllabus in a
timely way.
Rubric for Evaluating written work.
In evaluating your written work, whether it is done outside of class or in the context of an extended essay or short
answer essay exam in class, I look primarily to see 1) if your writing reflects knowledge of the content of the course
and 2) if how you write reflects your understanding of that content clearly to your readers.
Specifically, I will evaluate your written work using this rubric:
Content:
This addresses what you know (facts, insights, specific content)
You had a wealth of content packed into the essay, showed a broad and comprehensive mastery of facts and insights
gleaned from the text and from discussions.
Or
You had an average amount of content packed into the essay; breadth ok, but nothing special.
Or
You barely covered the relevant content of the essay.
Relevant means you reflect what is written on the board and covered in questions on mycourses and in handouts.
In general, it means you drew on class discussion, readings, and/or presentations in formulating your response. You
did not simply “fake it” or “wing it” when you wrote your responses. You drew on information you are learning and
didn’t rely merely on anecdotal evidence for your conclusions.
Presentation:
This addresses how you present your information/conclusions.
You showed maturity and manifested thoughtful and in depth interrogation of the material covered in the course.
This means that you did more with the material than simply list facts or details from the films and stories. You
comment on what you are talking about, show you are thinking about what you have learned, even if you haven’t
arrived at a fixed position in your understanding.
Or
You showed you had read the material--you could reference facts, information of specific units of material-- but
lacked or were inconsistent in providing a thoughtful interrogation of content; you demonstrated more a listing of
facts vs. thoughtful interrogation/reflection on the content.
Or
You showed little or no thoughtfulness or reflection of content. Spare in content and in thoughtful interrogation of
content.
If I break written work down further, here is how it works out.
Presentation:
Macro or thesis level
There was a clear point/thesis guiding this essay/answer. The writer had a clear idea and stuck to developing it.
There was an inconsistent use of a clear thesis; the essay was off point in some places.
There was no clear principle of organization in the essay, only a listing of random facts for no apparent reason.
Paragraph level:
Content at this was clearly tied to the thesis; it was clear why this information was in the paper.
Content wasn’t always clearly tied to the thesis; not always clear why the writer was including it.
Content seemed to have little or no reason for being included in the paper.
Sentence level:
Sentences were clear, easy to understand, connected to one another at the paragraph level as well as to the main
point of the paper.
Sentences were not always tied to the point of the paragraph.
Sentences seemed unrelated to one another and to any controlling idea in the paragraph or paper.
Word level:
Wording was careful and precise. The author knew what he/she wanted to say and so the author’s ideas were easy to
access.
Wording was generally but not always careful and precise, so paper was sometimes hard to follow.
Wording was (sometimes) very unclear and imprecise, making it (sometimes) impossible to access the writer’s
views.
My comments might include things like: Your point? Why are you telling me this? So? How so? These are all
various ways of asking the following: why was this important for you to note in your essay, why is it important for
me as the reader to be aware of this, and how does this follow from what you have said earlier.
Fixing the writing: Ask for clarification so you understand the standards being used
Use the writing center for additional feedback.
Ask for models of how it might have been said better. I'm a killer good editor, and happy to help.
Make a concerted effort to improve your written work, since the course provides you with ample opportunities to do
so.
And use the grammar resource listed in the ports on your mycourse page for English 226. Grammar and punctuation
aren’t the exclusive monopoly of the English department. Speaking and writing correctly are standards expected of
all people professing to be educated.
Rubric for online discussions/class discussions
Behavior:
Is the student respectful of other participants?
Does he/she wait a turn, not interrupt, refrain from commentary that might shut down rather than facilitate dialogue?
Does the student contribute to the thread of discussion or endeavor to undermine and sabotage it?
Does the student reflect, accurately, the content of others--an indication they are listening to what others have to say-before contributing their own ideas into the mix?
Does the student add something new to the mix? Enrich and enliven the consideration of content, go where “no
other thinker has gone before”?
Some ideas for group presentations:
Keep in mind that we have roughly 24 members enrolled in the class. That means that pairings or triplings
are inevitable, though there are some opportunities to solo, if that is what you prefer to do. Here are some
topics you might want to consider. I'm open to others as well. Just check before going forward. And keep
in mind that some of the calendar dates for presentations come before you go home on break in October
and November. So if you would like to get your presentation out of the way earlier rather than later, that's
another possibility.
A craft day; a day in which you teach us how to do a craft or address the richness of African art
The role oil (or gold or diamonds) play in contemporary Africa and in the world economy
Child soldiers
Empowering women through education, small business loans
The AIDS epidemic in Africa or malaria or tuberculosis or parasite borne diseases
Environmental issues
How much that cup of (African) coffee really costs
The role of missionaries in Africa
The impact of tribalism on African unity
The Nestle infant formula scandal
The role of rap in contemporary African music; the complexity of African music, instruments, music lines
Rubric for formal presentations: Y=yes; S=sometimes but not always;N=No
Is there a clear point to what the presenter has to say about this topic? An angle or central idea the presenter wanted
us to focus on? Y/S/N
Is the presentation balanced, with no overkill in some areas of the content and under kill in others?
Did the presenter do anything special by way of helping us access the material? Y/N
Handouts, PowerPoint, hands on, performance, other?
Were these extras effective or not? Y/N
Was the research sophisticated (more than youtube and Wikipedia, though these are good starting places)? Y/S/N
Was the presenter poised? Did he/she speak clearly so as to be understood?
Was the presenter sensitive to the fact that members of the audience did not do the research for this unit, and
therefore needed clarification and explanation to follow the presentation? Or did the presenter seem to leave out
points he/she was familiar because of the research he/she had done for the project? Y/S/N
In addition, I would like each presenter to include a written form which addresses all of the above. Just a brief
summary of the point(s) they wanted their audience to take away and how they worked to facilitate that would do.
These are due following the presentation.