August 28th, 2013

8/28/13

In Class:
Journal--  How are you perceived by the outside world?

Lecture and discussion-- Psychoanalytic Theory in Literary Criticism
literary theory: the variety of lenses through which we can interpret literature.
     -> What exactly are we looking for?
psychoanalysis: the process of observing and interpreting the psychological dimensions of a literary piece, its author, or its characters. Often engages the sexual subconscious.
There are three "layers" of human psychology, according to Sigmund Freud's study of psychoanalysis: the id, the ego, and the superego.

Id

- "subconsious"

- obscured, inaccesible

- animalistic/instinctual: seeks air, water, food, sex, sleep, excretion, homeostasis (the essentials, according to Maslow

- only 'layer' existing from birth

- repressed by societal standards

Ego

- personality/identity traits and reasoning

- seeks to satisfy the id in a sociologically-realistic manner

- extremely and constantly engaged in a state of anxiety--neurotic (id), realistic (external world), and moral (superego). Anxiety which is not properly reconciled can lead to a pantheon of psychological defense mechanisms and disorders.

Superego

- collective unconscious/conscience

- morality, cultural code

- affective

Read selections from "It's All About Sex..." from How to Read Literature Like a Professor.

Discussed the first reading of Their Eyes Were Watching God, specifically focusing on the pear tree scene and Janie's first marriage.

Exit ticket: What purpose does the id serve?

Homework:

Read through p. 100 of TEWWG.

Write three discussion questions.

Note: There will be no school Monday, September 3rd, 2013, for the Labor Day holiday. This class will meet again Wednesday, September 5th, 2013.

 

August 26th, 2013

8/26/13

In Class:
Journal--  "It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end." - Ursula K. LeGuin
Reflect on a journey or a trip you've taken.

Using student-generated discussion questions, the class discussed “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty. We explicated the ‘quest’ model implemented in "A Worn Path" and described in "Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It's Not)" from How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster. Finally, we reviewed and discussed Welty’s essay “Is Phoenix Jackson’s Grandson Really Dead?”

A Very Brief Introduction to African American Folk Tradition (Things to Expect in Their Eyes Were Watching God)
oral tradition: the system of reproducing culture without documentation, through storytelling, song, etc.
     - allows for improvisation, adaptation, and exaggeration
     - common historically in every surviving culture, though particularly significant in African American history folk: a term describing the oral, musical, and artistic culture of ‘the common people’
     - frequently applied to African American cultural and literary traditions emanating from the era of American slavery
     - regards issues of class and poverty, as well as cultural heritage. dialect: the phonemic construction of a regional manner of speech.
     - helps create an appearance and feeling of folk culture, particularly one with strong oral tradition.

 - Zora Neale Hurston was one of the first African Americans to be educated as an anthropologist. Consequently, she engaged in regular critical study of black culture, folklore, and language, especially in the American South. Her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God is considered one of the strongest pieces portraying the life of black Americans in the post-Civil War American South. It provides us unique insight to the lives of women, the structure of class, and the dynamics of race in this period.

As a group, we read and reviewed the first five pages of TEWWG, specifically noting the concept of a "framed story."

Exit ticket: Name one medium that could be used for folk expression.

Homework:
Read through p. 26 of TEWWG.
Read "How Did He Do That?" from How to Read Literature Like a Professor.
Write three discussion questions on the first reading of TEWWG. 

August 21st, 2013

8/21/13

In Class:
Journal--  To what expectations and standards do the people in your life hold you? (Consider family, friends, teachers, employers, yourself etc.) How does these expectations make you feel? How often do you fall short of these expectations?

Discussed the definitions and distinctions of tone and mood in literary analysis.
  tone: the emotional quality that an author creates in a piece of writing.
  mood: the emotional quality that a reader perceives in a piece of writing.
Screened Sarah McLachlan's SPCA commercial and "True Facts About the Tarsier" to discuss the implementation of discrepancies between tone and mood.

Lecture on Southern Gothic writing style:

Emerging from similar historical circumstances, Southern Gothic style grew directly from traditional European gothic, e.g. Frankenstein and Dracula. It also finds roots in American literature, like that of Edgar Allan Poe.
- tone/mood: generally very dark
- macabre
- deeply-flawed characters
- decay/downfall (literal and figurative)
- undertones of American racism and poverty
  *surrealism 

Class discussion of "A Rose for Emily."

With remaining class time, students began homework.

Exit ticket: Describe the difference between tone and mood.

Homework:
Read "Every Trip is a Quest..." from How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster.
Read "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty.
Write at least three discussion questions on "A Worn Path."

August 19th, 2013

8/19/13

In Class:
Welcome!
Reviewed syllabus and class expectations. Set up journal folders.

Journal--  "Independence is happiness." -Susan B. Anthony
How do you define the idea of 'independence' in your mind? Reflect on an instance in which you felt particularly independent--or otherwise.

Discussed and reviewed concepts surrounding critical reading. Critical reading is:
   -critical                                       -transactional
   -active/attentive                          -investigatory
   -personal                                     -deliberate
   -communal/collaborative
Reviewed the "iceberg" model of reading as meaning-making.

Brief introduction to William Faulkner and "A Rose for Emily."

Exit ticket: If there is one thing I will do to be successful this block, it will be...

Homework:
Complete syllabus goals and agreement.
Read "A Rose for Emily."
Write at least two discussion questions about "A Rose for Emily."

Syllabus -- Advanced Literature: Portraits of the American South

Advanced Literature: Portraits of the American South

August 19^th – October 17^th, 2013

MW 10:40 - 12:10, Room _

http://boulderprepadvlit.blogspot.com/

Shane Abrams

shaneabrams@boulderprep.org

Course Texts

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: Harper, 1937. Print.

The vast majority of course texts will be provided in handouts; a folder, binder, or other organizational system will be necessary.

The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms, 3^rd ed. Eds. Ross Murfin and Supryia M. Ray. Boston: Bedford, 2009. Print.

The following blog will also serve as a resource for disseminating materials, notes, and texts: 

http://boulderprepadvlit.blogspot.com/

Course Description

This course will examine the characteristics of the pre-Civil Rights American South through the scope of Zora Neale Hurston’s classic novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, along with supplementary poems, short stories, and critical texts. Advanced Literature is designed as a Boulder Prep Language Arts capstone reading class with the intent to prepare students for a college-level literature course. By studying Hurston’s novel and other related texts, students will gain greater insight to the particularly time period and cultural setting of the South in the 1900s while also developing awareness of literature as a cultural reflection and critique.

Learning Outcomes and Essential Questions

During this course, students will develop the ability to…

·       read, analyze, discuss, and respond to a variety of texts.

·       engage in unique and relevant literary discussions and assignments by drawing on personal experiences, academic analysis, and textual information

·       develop higher-level cognition skills and critical reading techniques to engage literature at a college preparatory level.

We will aim to explore—perhaps even answer—some of the following questions:

·       How does literature reflect and critique our current society? Our historical backgrounds?

·       What role does ethnicity and cultural heritage play in our social circumstance and participation?

·       What factors of culture and geography contribute to identity and life experience?

Outcomes Assessment

The following assignments will be used to assess students’ progress toward learning outcomes: participation & attendance (graded daily); daily journal entries (graded once per block); in-class and out-of-class assignments; a midterm project or exam; and a final analysis and presentation. Additionally, other artistic or academic assignments will be collected and assessed when the instructor sees appropriate.

Classroom Policy – Grading, Attendance, and Comportment

Grades for Advanced Literature will be calculated on a points-based scale; i.e., each assignment, including long-term projects and daily participation grades, will be valued at a certain number of points possible. Over the 8-week course, points possible will amount to roughly 1000-1200 points. At any time, a student may request his or her grade, and I will do my best to provide a response in a timely fashion.

Extra credit will not be provided, barring unforeseen, extenuating circumstances; therefore, students are expected to complete each and every assignment to the best of their respective abilities. Opportunity for success will not be withheld: each student will have the chance to excel, in terms of grades and personal growth. However, the burden lies upon the student to optimize these opportunities.

Students should attend all classes as possible. There will be only 15 sessions of Advanced Literature; each absence is detrimental to learning potential. I will not deduct points for absences, whether they are excused or unexcused. However, students are always responsible for information, work, and cumulative assignments which they miss when absent: missing multiple classes will unforgivingly hinder a student’s academic success. If a student misses class, I advise visiting the course blog – http://boulderprepdadvlit.blogspot.com/— to see what she or he missed and what she or he needs in order to catch up. If you know in advance that you will miss a class, please consult with me beforehand.

Students are expected to arrive to class on time. This means that each student should be sitting at a desk with all necessary materials, including any assigned reading for the class, ready to begin working at 10:40. This does not mean walking from the Commons to the classroom at 10:40; this does not mean arriving at 10:39 and leaving to use the bathroom until 10:45. In regards to individual breaks, you should think of yourselves as adults during this class: leave the classroom only when you must and only when it is appropriate. At the maximum, only one student should be out of the classroom at any given time.

My classroom is a place for personal growth, be it intellectual, emotional, or otherwise. I expect all students to help me maintain an environment conducive to such growth. All students are entitled to the right to improve and evolve, and no person should infringe upon this right in any manner. My classroom will be a safe and respectful environment for my students to exercise their right to learn.

Course Specific Grades:

Daily participation – 10 pts. / day

Daily journal entries – 150 pts.

Discussion questions/golden lines – approx. 200 pts.

General assignments – 10-20 pts. / each (approx. 200 pts. total)

Midterm – 200 pts.

Final project – 300 pts.

                  * see particular assignment sheets for specific breakdown and expectations

Academic Honesty

Plagiarism and cheating, whether intentional or unintentional, shall not be tolerated. Every student is expected to follow any and all codes of academic honesty endorsed by Boulder Preparatory High School.

Electronic Devices

In order to contribute to a classroom environment which respects everyone’s educational opportunities, students are asked to refrain from the use of cell phones and other unnecessary and/or distracting devices during class time. When you are in class, regardless of the nature of the activity, your cell phone should be put away, your music device shut off, and any other devices out of sight. Devices that seem to be distracting any student will be impounded for the remainder of the period.

Materials Needed

Please bring these things to class every day:

Writing materials (pen/pencil, paper)

Course texts (Their Eyes, handouts, assignments, etc.)

Writing journal

Binder, folder, or other organizational system for hand-out readings

Approximate Schedule of Study and Curriculum

This schedule is a rough estimate and is subject to change.

            Reading assignments should be completed before the beginning of the class period for which they are listed.

Week one (8/19 - 8/23) –	Introduction to Critical Reading and Analysis Social Circumstance and History in the American South
Week two (8/26 - 8/30) –	Introduction to Zora Neale Hurston and the Harlem Renaissance 8/28 – p. 26, Their Eyes Were Watching God
Week three (9/3 - 9/6) –	Psychoanalytic Criticism 9/5 – p.100, TEWWG
Week four (9/9 - 9/13) –	Marxist Criticism 9/9 – p. 147, TEWWG 9/11 – p.154, TEWWG Midterm projects due no later than 3:00 PM on 9/11!
Week five (9/16 - 9/20) –	Feminist Criticism 9/16 – p. 190, TEWWG 9/18 – p.193, TEWWG
Week six (9/23 - 9/27) –	Critical Race Theory / Multiculturalism
Week seven (9/30 - 10/4) –	Short Fiction and Poetry of the Harlem Renaissance and the American South
Week eight (10/7 - 10/14) –	Short Fiction and Poetry of the Harlem Renaissance and the American South

Miscellaneous

I reserve the right to amend or alter this syllabus; please note that any changes are made in an effort to create the best possible academic environment. I will notify students of any such changes as promptly as possible.

I wholeheartedly welcome feedback. Please do not hesitate to provide response to my teaching practices, assignments, etc.—but please provide this feedback while class is not in session.

 [Please complete and return this section.]

During the course of this block, I hope to:

	Identify at least two concrete, measurable academic goals.
	Identify at least two abstract, subjective, and/or personal goals.

I think my biggest asset as a student is:

I believe my greatest struggle as a student is:

I do best on assignments which:

I, _______________________________, hereby acknowledge that I have received and reviewed this

(print name)

syllabus. Any questions or concerns that have arisen have been addressed adequately.

I recognize that I am a student: I am capable of anything I encounter in this course, though it may be challenging—and it should be challenging. I will not state that I “can’t” do something, but that I “can’t yet.” I will ask for help when I need it, whether assistance is from Shane, from my peers, or from another responsible individual.

I will contribute to a classroom environment which is healthy, fun, welcoming, intellectual, emotional, and safe, among other things.

I will respect everyone’s educational opportunities; I will respect our building; I will respect my peers’ and instructors’ belongings; I will respect everyone’s right to make amends.

I will be the best person—intellectually, socially, and otherwise—that I can be.

_____________________________________                                                                                        __________________

    (signature)                                                                                                                                                   (date)