English 122, Section 2015
Tuesday/ Thursday 12.30-1.45
LA 113
Jessica Barksdale Inclan, Instructor
Office Hours MW 8-9.30 online, TTH 10.30-11, 3.15-3.45 FO 240 on land. Arrange appt. beforehand.
Office phone: 925-685-1230 x 2513
www.jessicabarksdaleinclan.com
(For my web site, click on the DVC icon, find your class by section and you will find the syllabus and the assignment for the Writer Write Up. A good idea is to save my web site as a favorite place on your browser so if you lose the syllabus, you will be able to get another fast)
Texts: American Beauty by Alan Ball
The Best American Short Stories of 2007 edited by Stephen King
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
180 More by Billy Collins
The Best American Nonrequired Readings edited by Dave Eggers
What Every Student Should Know About Citing With MLA Documentation
Welcome to English 122. The aim of this class is to help you learn to read and think more critically and to help you learn to develop ideas in writing. We will be reading a play, The Merchant of Venice, a screenplay, Stranger than Fiction, a collection of short fiction, The Best American Short Stories of 2007, a collection of various genre forms in The Best American Nonrequired Readings, and an anthology of poems 180 More. We will also watch two movies, Hamlet and American Beauty.
In order to achieve these goals, each class will be arranged so that you will have done all of the assigned reading before class. In class, we will read aloud portions of the assigned section. Then, we will spend some time talking about the themes, ideas, concepts, values, interpretations, and meanings of the piece. We will also contemplate personal reactions to the various works. Next, we will write about what we’ve read, using writing strategies, tips, ideas, concepts, and structures that I will talk about. Finally, you will share some of what you’ve written to the entire class. As I listen to what you’ve read, I will talk about what works well in the writing and what could be thought through more fully.
There is no homework in this class EXCEPT for the reading. However, you will be graded intensely on how you participate and write in class—you will be graded on your deep understanding of the piece we discuss each day. You will be graded on the work that you turn in on the final day of the class—work that will be validated by your attendance in the class. You will be graded on actually putting forth your ideas, sharing your writing, and working together in groups when called to.
In class, you are expected to have the book we are reading in front of you, to discuss, to think, to offer up ideas. If you do not bring your book to class, you will lose some portion of your participation points.
Toward the end of the class, we will be putting together a final paper that you will complete and turn in with your portfolio at the end of the semester.
So basically, if you are in class, if you are awake, alert, alive, interested, and focused in class—if you listen, respond, and produce—you will do well. If you miss class, if you don’t participate, if you don’t read ahead of time (and this always shows) if you don’t bring your books, you won’t do well at all. IF YOU DO NOT SPEAK IN CLASS, OFFER TO READ, OR PARTICIPATE OFTEN, YOU WILL NOT GET AN A. An A is not guaranteed. Please consider this before remaining in the class. None of the above will change! And likely, you won’t change into a person who likes to talk in front of others or read aloud within one semester, though sometimes, people do!
Missing more than 4 classes will automatically lower your grade one full grade AND you will be asked to drop if you miss one more.
Your only other assignment is the Writer Write Up, where you will go to listen to a writer on your own time. See the separate assignment on my web site—www.jessicabarksdaleinclan.com for details.
Assignments and grade scale:
Writing portfolio 20 per day 700 1250-1125 A
Attendance/Part 10 per day 350 1124-1000 B
Writer Write Up 100 100 999-875 C
Final Essay 100 100 874-750 D
749 below F
Below, you will find the class and reading schedule. The reading listed for each date is the reading you will read before class and then bring to class.
January
15—Introduction to class
17—Hamlet 3-21
22—Hamlet 22-43
24—Hamlet 44-65
29—Hamlet 66-87
31—Hamlet 88-109
February
5—Hamlet 110-131
7—Hamlet 132 to finish/Begin Hamlet film
12—Hamlet film
14—Hamlet film
19--Short Stories begin: Solid Wood, Balto
21—L.DeBard And Aliette: A Love Story
26—Riding the Doug House, St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves
28—My Brother Eli
March
4—The Bris, Do Something
6—Nonrequired Reading: 3-29
11—NR 42-69
13—NR 70-83, 105-130
18-20 Spring Break
25—NR 151-161, 317-329
27—NR 237-258, 204-226
April
1—American Beauty 1-20
3--AB 21-41
8—AB 42-62
10—AB 63-83
15—AB 84-finish/ AB film
17—AB film
22—AB film
24—180 More 3-27
29—180 More 28-53
May
1—180 More 54-79
Writer Write Up Due
6—Work on Final Essay
180 More 80-105
8—Work on Final Essay
180 More 106-131
13—Work on Final Essay
180 More 132-157
15—Work on Final Essay
180 More 158-183
20—10.30-12.30 Final class/Turn in Portfolio of work
Pick Poem to read in class from any part of the book