ELIT 48C

Week 1 Class 1

Agenda

• Adding the Class• Syllabus/Green Sheet • Website• QHQ

Adding the Class• I can only take 45 students• If you are on the waiting list, you can stay. I won’t

hand out add codes until at least Monday of next week, and then, only if there is room.

• As we go over the syllabus, consider whether you will stay in the class. If you want out, please let me know, so I can offer your seat to another student.

• If you are not on the waiting list, it is very unlikely you will get into the class unless we have a mass exodus after the syllabus!

Adding the Honors Section

• If you are in the Honors Program:– Ask me for an Honors add code.   – Drop your regular section and then add the Honors section with

the new CRN#. – The switch must be made during the first week of the quarter.

• If you are not in the Honors Program:– You may take one Honors class if you qualify. – Email the honors program coordinator at dahonors@fhda.edu. for

permission to add the honors section of the class. – Do not drop the regular section until you have been permitted into

the class.– The switch must be made during the first week of the quarter. 

Honors Section Expectations

• Honors Students will physically be in the exact same class, but they will need to do a minimum of an additional 10 hours of work outside of class in order to earn the Honors designation. For this class, that will include the following:– an advanced library workshop– An annotated bibliography(eight entries) for one text that we read

this quarter– A final paper that includes this outside research.

Once a student switches over to the Honors section, then he or she may NOT switch back.  If the Honors work is not completed, the student’s grade will drop one full letter.

The Green Sheet:What you will find here

– Course Requirements

• Assignments and values

• Participation

– Required Materials• Books• Computer Access

– Class Policies• Plagiarism• Conduct and Courtesy

– The Class Website• How to sign up for an

account• How to post your

homework.

Texts and Required Materials:

Available at the De Anza Bookstore• Baym, et al., The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 8th ed.,

Vol.   D—"Between the Wars 1914-1945."• Baym, et al., The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 8th ed.,

Vol. E—"Literature since 1945."   Available online and from local booksellers• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (There is a link to the full text

novel on the website).• The Road by Cormac McCarthy (Buy it, Borrow it, or Beg for it).

• A stapler, loose-leaf paper or a notebook for notes and drafts, and pens or pencils. Alternatively, you may use your computer for drafting.

Requirements:

• Active participation in class discussions and regular attendance. You will earn real points for your participation in activities.

• Keeping up-to-date on the assignments and reading.

• Formal writing: Two short formal essays• Three exams• A series of posts to the class website• Reading quizzes, and in-class assignments.

Grading

Class Policies

Writing Submissions:All out of class work to be submitted to me

electronically before the class period in which it is due. Work must be submitted as an attachment in Microsoft word. No other saved forms are acceptable. If you do not have Microsoft Word software available, leave yourself time to save and send your work from a library computer. All work must be in MLA format. I will read and return work, in the order I receive it, with comments both in the text and in the margins.

Attendance:Success in this course depends on regular attendance and

active participation. Participation points will be part of our daily activities. If you are not in class, you cannot earn these points. You should save absences for emergencies, work conflicts, weddings, jury duty, or any other issues that might arise in your life.

It is your responsibility to talk to me your absences or other conflicts. Work done in class cannot be made up. Also, please arrive on time, as you will not be able to make up work completed before you arrive, including quizzes.

Exams: – We will have three exams during the quarter. They will

likely be identification, short answer, and essay style. I extend the opportunity to re-take or make-up one exam on the last day of the quarter (before the final).

Late Work– I do not accept late work. I do, however, extend an

opportunity to revise essay #1 for a better grade. If you miss the due date, you may submit that work when the revisions are due on the last day of the term. This does disqualify you from revising another piece.

Conduct, Courtesy, and Electronic Devices:

In this class, we will regularly engage in the discussion of topics that may stir passionate debates. Please speak freely and candidly; however, while your thoughts and ideas are important to me and to the dynamics of the class, you must also respect others and their opinions. Courtesy will allow each person to have the opportunity to express his or her ideas in a comfortable environment.

Courtesy includes but is not limited to politely listening to others when they contribute to class discussions or while they give presentations, not slamming the classroom door or walking in front of classmates giving presentations if you do arrive late, and maintaining a positive learning environment for your fellow classmates. To help maintain a positive learning environment, please focus on the work assigned, turn off all cell phones and Ipods before class, and do not text-message in class. If your behavior becomes disruptive to the learning environment of the class, you may be asked to leave and/or be marked absent.

CLASS POLICIES:

• Academic Dishonesty:Plagiarism includes quoting or paraphrasing material without documentation and copying from other students or professionals. Intentional plagiarism is a grave offense; the resulting response will be distasteful. Depending upon the severity, instances of plagiarism may result in a failing grade for the paper or the course and possible administrative action. All assignments will be scanned and scrutinized for academic dishonesty. Please refer to your handbook for more information regarding plagiarism.

Syllabus

• The syllabus is a tentative schedule. • It may be revised during the quarter.• Use it to determine how to prepare for class.

Week, Dates, and Days

What we will do in class

Homework due before the next class

Website: • Our class website is http://palmoreelit48C.wordpress.com. In order to

do the homework, you must establish an account. To make your own FREE Word Press account, go to wordpress.com and click on the large, orange button that says, “Get started here.” The system will walk you through a series of steps that will allow you to set up your own user-friendly Word Press blog, sign up for just a user name or sign in with your Facebook account. Make sure you sign in with YOUR Word Press username before you post on our class page so you get credit for your work.

• If you prefer not to use your own name, you may use a pseudonym. Please email me your username if it is significantly different from your real name.

• If you cannot establish your website and username, please come to my office hours as soon as possible, and I will help you with the process. Much of our work will take place online, so establishing this connection is mandatory.

On the Website:http://palmoreewrt48C.wordpress.com

• Writing Assignments• Reading Assignments• The Green Sheet• The Syllabus (The Daily Plan)• Writing Tips• Helpful Links• Your Daily Homework Assignment (which is where

you post your homework.)

Posting Homework

• On the front page of the website, you will find the homework post after each class.

• Below that post on the right, are the words “Leave a comment.”

• Copy and paste your homework into the box. • Click there and a comment box will open. Post your

homework in the comment box and click “Post Comment.”

HomeworkThere is writing homework almost everyday in this class. This is both to help you think about your reading and to help you produce ideas for your essays.

In order to earn an A on your homework, you must do the following:• Complete at least 90% of the posts.• Post them on time.• Be thoughtful in your responses.

This class is going to be so easy!

Is this class too hard?

Is this classHistory 10?

Will I be the teacher’s favorite?

Questions?

THE QHQThinking about writing

How do I know what I think until I see what I say?--E.M. Forster

Each text we study will provide material for response writing called a QHQ (Question-Hypothesis-Question). The QHQ requires students to have second thoughts, that is, to think again about questions that arise during their reading and to write about questions that are meaningful to them. Begin your QHQ by formulating some question you have about some aspect of the reading. The first question in the QHQ may be one sentence or longer, but its function is to frame your QHQ writing. A student might start with a question like, “Why is the house in this story haunted? Or, “Why do I suspect the murdered child has come back to life?” A student might even write, “Why am I having so much trouble understanding this story?”

After you pose your initial question, focus on a close reading of the text in search of a hypothesis. This hypothesis section comprises the body of your text. The student who asked about the haunted house might refer to multiple passages about haunting in the text, comparing and contrasting them to other instances of haunting with which he or she is familiar. The student who asked about the dead child might connect passages associated with the death to sections about a new child who abruptly appears in the text. The student who struggled to understand the text might explore those passages whose meanings were obscure or difficult to understand, connecting them to other novels and/or cultural texts. After carefully exploring your initial question (200-300 words), put forward another question, one that has sprung from your hypothesis. This will be the final sentence of your QHQ and will provide a base for further reflection into the text.

The QHQ is designed to help you formulate your response to the texts we study into clearly defined questions and hypotheses that can be used as a basis for both class discussion and longer papers. The QHQ can be relatively informal but should demonstrate a thoughtful approach to the material. While the papers need to be organized and coherent, because you will sharing them in class, the ideas they present may be preliminary and exploratory.

Remember, a QHQ is not a summary or a report—it is an original, thoughtful response to what you have read. All QHQs should be posted on the website the evening before the class for which they are due. This will give both me and other students time to ponder your ideas and think about appropriate responses. Moreover, this sharing of material should provide plenty of fodder for essays. Even though you have posted your QHQ, you should bring a copy of it to class in order to share your thoughts and insights and to stimulate class discussion.

Homework• Establish Your Webpage or

Username • Explore The class webpage

• Buy Your books • Read the introduction: pp. 3-22 • Post #1: QHQ introduction:

– For example, you might ask, “What does WWI have to do with American Literature?”

– or “Why are we discussing Science and Technology in a lit class?”