HomeMy WebLinkAboutLIT-203Bergen Community College
Division of English
LIT-203-000 World Literature to 1650
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Course Description: Throughout this course we will be looking at some of the most
prominent and influential literary works humanity has produced, starting with some of
the earliest known texts up to the early European Renaissance. We will be concentrating
on the texts’ unique qualities and what makes them universal, examining how they
transcend their time and place. Through reading, discussing, analyzing, and writing on
these texts we will come in contact with the mythic narrative of humanity behind the
formal history of names and dates. 3 Credits. Prerequisite: WRT-101. A General
Education Course. A Diversity Course.
Required Text: The Norton Anthology: World Literature – Shorter Second Edition
Volume 1. Ed: Bierhorst. New York: Norton: 2009 * (To be brought to every class.)
Other Materials: Notebook for note-taking.
Student Learning Objectives:
The students who successfully complete the requirements of this course will be able to:
1. Analyze works of literature written during the period covered by the course.
2. Examine various literary techniques that writers use in constructing their texts,
and demonstrate an understanding of these techniques.
3. Demonstrate, through discussion and writing, an understanding of the diverse issues of
the period and how they are addressed in the texts selected for the course.
4. Employ a variety of analytical techniques to respond ot the works of the course
through discussion and writing.
5. Use MLA style documentation in writing assignments.
In addition, you will:
6. Develop an understanding of the global literary canon that has served as the foundation
for cultures throughout the world.
7. Gain the ability to identify the universal themes of humanity’s narrative.
Course Content and Approaches: Literature courses at Bergen Community College
foster in students the ability to read, analyze, and write about literary texts.
Course Requirements:
Students will be required to do the following:
1. Analyze works of literature using a variety of approaches.
2. Participate in class activities such as discussions, writing, and presentations.
3. Write 15-20 pages or 3750-5000 words for the course. This may include the following:
journals, quizzes, papers, exams, research papers, class presentation.
4. Take thorough notes during all lectures.
5. Complete the following assignments by the due dates assigned.
A. Three three-four page Essays
B. Two In-Class Essay Exams
C. Take and pass 12 quizzes given throughout the semester.
Three to Four Page Essays: All essays are to be typed, double spaced, in Times New
Roman font, printed single-sided. I will provide you with many possible topics for each
one. All essays are due on the assigned due date. The final one will involve outside
research. They must be turned in as hardcopies in class and electronically via
WebCT/turnitin.com. (See page 4) Any late essay turned in after the class period it is due
will receive a 10% grade reduction. I will accept them for one week following the due
date. After that they will not be accepted. Handwritten or e-mailed essays will also not be
accepted at any time.
In-Class Essay Exams: At the midway point of the semester and at the very end there
will be an In-Class Written Essay Exam. You will have the whole class period to respond
to a few questions on the texts we have read up to that point. Make-up exams will be
provided for students who have written documentation explaining their absence.
Quizzes: There will be a total of twelve quizzes on the assigned readings. They will be
given during the first ten minutes of class. If you miss them, they cannot be made up.
I will drop your lowest score.
Note-taking: A lot of information will be given on the texts we read in each class period.
You will need to take thorough notes every day.
Attendance: If you miss over three weeks of class (a combination of any six classes) you
will fail the class. *Please note that this does not mean that you have six free passes of
any kind. Every class you miss will ultimately hurt you, as you will be missing lectures,
possibly quizzes (which can’t be made up), and important due dates. Nine times out of
ten students who receive good final grades accumulate very few absences. If you know
you will be absent in advance, please speak to me in class or via e-mail to get any info
you may need. If you are absent due to an unexpected emergency or illness, again, e-mail
me to find out about possible assignment changes or any other pertinent information.
Absences will only be excused if official documentation is presented.
Lateness: Arriving over twenty minutes late to class twice is equal to one absence.
Participation: Merely attending class and sitting in a desk will not be enough. You are to
take thorough notes in a designated notebook for the class. During some lectures a lot of
information will be given and it is essential for you to stay on top of it. You are expected
to take part in the discussions of the texts as well. If you’ve done the assigned reading for
that day, speak up. The more everyone contributes, the better the class will be. Those
students who frequently contribute to class discussions and are seldom late or absent will
receive full credit for this portion of the class.
Classroom Policies: PHONES OFF. NO TEXTING.
Grading: Your final grade will be made up of 340 points. Here is how it will break
down.
Essay #1=50 pts
Essay #2=50 pts
Essay #3=50 pts
In-Class Essay Exam #1=50 pts
In-Class Essay Exam #2=50 pts
Quizzes (12 Combined, 5 pts each – lowest score dropped)=55 pts
Participation =35 pts
A= 90%-100%
B+=87%-89%
B=80%-86%
C+=77%-79%
C=70%-76%
D=60%-69%
F=59% or below
Plagiarism: Bergen Community College, like all institutions of higher learning, is
committed to maintaining academic integrity. Plagiarism, the act of trying to pass any
part of another person’s writing off as your own without giving them proper credit, is
considered one of the most serious academic crimes.
*Plagiarism of any kind will result in an automatic 0 for that assignment.
Examples of plagiarism are:
-Using any material from another source and including it in your writing without giving
the original author credit. These sources could be from the internet, books, newspapers,
or another student. Cutting and pasting without giving credit to the original source is
illegal!
-The extensive use of another’s ideas without the proper citations.
-Handing in work, a whole essay, or even one paragraph that was written by someone
else.
Throughout the course we will look at the proper ways of using other sources and how to
correctly cite them in your essays. But in the meantime, remember that all work must be
your own. It is incredibly easy for me to identify when you have plagiarized something.
Plagiarizing can lead to failing a course and possible expulsion from the college. If you
ever have any questions on how to incorporate an outside source into your essay, please
ask.
WebCT/ Turnitin.com: There is a course shell set up within WebCT (the college’s
online course software) for our course. Within it, is a link to the electronic device
turnitin.com. This device notes any instance of plagiarism. All three of your essays must
be submitted as hardcopies and electronically to turnitin.com. You will be instructed
on how to do this as the time approaches.
Sample Class Readings/Course Schedule:
M 9/14: Genesis 1-3, 6-9, 11
W 9/16: Genesis 37, 39, 46
M 9/21: Genesis (Job)
W 9/23: The Odyssey
M 9/28: The Odyssey
W 9/30: The Odyssey
M 10/5: Paper 1 due. Poetics, Oedipus the King
W 10/7: Oedipus the King
M 10/12: Oedipus the King
W 10/14: Medea
M 10/19: Medea
W 10/21: The Bhagavad-Gita
M 10/26: The Ramayana
W 9/9: Introduction
W 10/28: The Ramayana
M 11/2: Confucius
W 11/4: Review
M 11/9: In-class Exam 1
W 11/11: Paper 2 due. Inferno
M 11/16: Inferno
W 11/18: Inferno
M 11/23: The Prince/Don Quixote
W 11/25: Don Quixote
M 11/30: Don Quixote
W 12/2: Hamlet
M 12/7: Hamlet
W 12/9: Hamlet
M 12/14: Hamlet
W 12/16: Paper 3 due. Review
M 12/21: In-class Exam 2