EASTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY  -- College of Arts and Sciences Syllabus
English 205: Writers of the British Isles (4 credits; Detective Fiction; #91482) -- GE A/AH -- UWR
Spring 2007 MTRF 12-12:50 PM


Instructor: Nancy Knowles, Loso Hall 146, 962-3795, nknowles@eou.edu , M 10-11:50 AM, F 11-11:50 AM and by appointment
Course Home Page: http://www.eou.edu/~nknowles/spring2007/engl205s07.html
Catalog Description: Study of selected writers of the British isles. Prerequisite: WR 121 or 131, and any 100-level English course.
General Education: ENGL 205: Writers of the British Isles meets the mission of General Education by challenging students to become critical, creative thinkers in reading, writing, and speaking.
Required Texts:  Wilkie Collins, The Moonstone; Arthur Conan Doyle, Complete Sherlock Holmes; Agatha Christie, And Then There Were None: P. D. James, The Black Tower. Also required: access to handbook with MLA citation information or to an online resource like http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/mla/
Required Materials: folder or envelope for final draft submission, EOU email account

UWR Writing Intensive Outcomes:

• Students will produce at least 3,000 words (including drafts, in-class writing, informal papers, and polished papers); 1,000 words of this total should be in polished papers which students have revised after receiving feedback and criticism.
• Students will be introduced to the discourse forms appropriate to the discipline the course represents.
• Students will write at least one paper integrating information from at least one source, employing the appropriate documentation style for the discipline represented by the course.
• Students will draft, revise, and edit their formal written work.
• Students will seek assistance from a Writing Tutor in the Writing Lab when needed and when referred by the instructor. The UWR requires a C- course grade.
  

Additional Outcomes:

1. Read British detective fiction critically.
2. Identify literary techniques and analyze their effects within and among works.
   
3. Interpret textual evidence to support claims made about technique.
   
4. Employ literary theory to identify one's approach to literature and understand other approaches.
5. Situate British detective fiction in its historical, cultural, and biographical context
6. Create reading communities in our classroom
   
7. Evaluate and produce effective academic writing.
8. Perform scholarly research.

Means of Assessment and Grading:

• Attendance is required. 4 absences are permitted, so please reserve these for emergencies and illness. Please do not attend class if you are ill or should be resting. Absences related to EOU-sponsored events, such as athletics travel or course field trips are excused with advance notification. No excuses for additional absences will be considered without an official Student Affairs email indicating a significant, documented illness, family emergency, or other extreme personal issue that affects all courses. In this situation, contact Student Affairs at 541-962-3536 or saffairs@eou.edu, and present documentation. Missed quizzes and participation credit cannot be made up. 5 absences and each absence after that drops the course grade a letter grade.
  
• Participation in whole-class discussion (outcomes 1-6; 10%)
• Quizzes (outcomes 1-6; 20%): eight out of ten, no make-ups. Quizzes are open book and open note and usually cover readings and class discussion over the past week, including reading assigned for the quiz date. Quizzes often require analysis of a passage from the literature and application of literary terminology to it.
  
• Writing Response (outcome 7; 5%): required for paper credit
  
• Three 2-Page (500-word) Papers (outcomes 1-5 and 7; 10% or 3.3% each), one for each of the first three novels
  
• The thesis should appear in the introduction, should  indicate what interests you about the text(s), and should make an interpretive argument about what you're seeing: why is what you're seeing important--so what? (.5)
  
• The structure should employ 1-3 logically ordered, single-topic paragraphs and transitions (.5)
• The analysis should demonstrate mastery of the unit by detailing your understanding of literary technique and its effect: present and analyze at least one quoted passage per paragraph and connect that analysis to your thesis--so what? (1)
• Include a works cited in MLA format (.5)
  
• 8-Page (2000-word) Paper (outcomes 1-5 and 7-8; 45%): Write a critical paper interpreting one or two of the literary texts we've studied. The thesis should make an interpretive claim (so what?) that the discussion supports with analyzed quotations demonstrating mastery of course content. This paper can use the topic of one of the 2-page papers. It must also incorporate information from peer-reviewed journal articles. Additional information from other peer-reviewed journal articles or scholarly books may be included; Internet sources, encyclopedias, or dictionaries may be used only with permission. Submit copies of all pages cited. See rubric.
  
• Annotated Works Cited (AWC; outcome 9; 5%): Write a works cited in MLA format listing three peer-reviewed journal articles located through the MLA Bibliography and related to the topic of the 8-Page Paper. After each citation, write a summary of the article indicating the source's argument (e.g. Smith argues that...), the evidence employed to support that argument, the purpose and audience, and the way you envision the source will be useful to your 8-Page Paper. Deadlines for article and AWC submission must be met to receive credit.
• Final (outcomes 1-3; 5%): open-book essay examination of the fourth novel
  
• Extra credit options:
  
• participate daily in whole-class discussions
• meet with a writing tutor and submit blue form
• reflect on one presentation at Spring Symposium May 23
  

A 92-100, A- 90-91, B+ 88-89, B 82-87, B- 80-81, C+ 78-79, C 72-77, C- 70-71, D+ 68-69, D 62-67, D- 60-61, F 59 and below

Course Requirements:

• Read all agreed upon readings by the syllabus date. Bring text to class.
• Deadlines: quizzes cannot be made up; late submissions will be penalized.
• Academic writing must be word-processed with a 12-point font and 1" margins. Check grammar and spelling before submission.
  
• 8-Paper final draft must be accompanied by rubric, drafts demonstrating substantial revision, copies of all cited secondary materials, and a works cited page.
• Revision is permitted and may be required. Revisions will not be read without the graded draft. Revision grades, if higher, will replace initial grades, but revision does not guarantee a higher grade.
• The final examination is an institutional requirement. Rescheduling the final requires permission from the course instructor and the Dean of Arts & Sciences.
• Keep copies of all your work until you receive your official course grade.
  
• Those who cannot treat others respectfully will be asked to leave. Repeated problems will result in disciplinary action.
  
• Statement on Academic Misconduct: Eastern Oregon University places a high value upon the integrity of its student scholars. Any student found guilty of an act of academic misconduct (including, but not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, or theft of an examination or supplies) may be subject to having his or her grade reduced in the course in question, being placed on program or suspended from the university, or being expelled from the university--or a combination of these.
• Collaboration is not permitted. Submitting the same work is cheating. 
• Use MLA citation format avoid plagiarism by citing all ideas and words belonging to others:
  
1. Separate your wording from the other writer's by
   
1. QUOTING: putting quotation marks around wording that comes word-for-word from the original (quotes must be exact wording), and
2. PARAPHRASING: changing ALL wording and the WHOLE sentence structure for paraphrased passages that do not come word-for-word from the original.
   
2. Follow all information, BOTH quoting and paraphrasing, with an in-text citation in MLA format like (Smith 45) and append a works cited page in MLA format to the document.
   
3. Discuss all research information to indicate why it is important to your argument (so what?) Your writing should significantly exceed the quantity of cited information and build new ideas on it. 
• No work from another course may be used for credit in this one without prior permission from both instructors.
• If you have a documented disability or suspect that you have a learning problem and need accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Program in Loso Hall 234. Telephone: 962-3081.

Schedule by Week: Reading schedule will be updated. Other changes to this schedule may be made during class.

1. 4/2M--4/3T Start Collins--4/5R Collins first 75 pages; Quiz 1--4/6F Collins first 100 pages
   
2. 4/9M Collins to page 175; Quiz 2--4/10T Collins 200--4/12R Collins 250--4/13F Collins 275
   
3. 4/16M Collins 350; Quiz 3--4/17T Collins 375--4/19R Collins 425--4/20F Collins 500
   
4. 4/23M Complete Collins; Quiz 4--4/24T--4/26R--4/27F Submit Collins 2-page Paper
   
5. 4/30M Doyle selections TBA; Quiz 5--5/1T Doyle selections TBA--5/3R Doyle selections TBA--5/4F Doyle selections TBA
   
6. 5/7M Doyle selections TBA; Quiz 6--5/8T--5/10-11RF No class; Submit Doyle 2-Page Paper to my mailbox in LH 154
   
7. 5/14M Christie first 50 pages; Quiz 7--5/15T Christie 175--5/17R Christie 125--5/18F Christie 150; Bring 3 copies of 4-page draft
   
8. 5/21M Christie 225; Quiz 8--5/22T Christie 250--5/24R Complete Christie; Bring sources--5/25F Submit Annotated Works Cited and sources
   
9. 5/28M No class--5/29T James first 75 pages; Submit Christie 2-Page Paper; Quiz 9--5/31R James 150--6/1F James 175; 8-Page Paper Rough Draft with research integrated (bring 3 copies and sources)
10. 6/4M James 250; Quiz 10--6/5T James 275; course evaluations--6/7-6/8RF No class; Submit 8-Page Paper , sources, response group work, works cited, and rubric to my mailbox in LH 154. Optional: meet informally to discuss novel ending and prepare for final.
    

Final 6/11M 3-5PM