Course Schedule –English 211 Fall 2024

Instructor: Liza Long

Here is an overview of the weekly readings, assignments, and due dates for your major essays. Readings are due before class if you attend in person or by Thursday at 11:59 p.m. if you attend online. Reading responses and theoretical responses are due to Blackboard by Thursday at 11:59 p.m. Online only students should respond to two classmates by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Essays should be submitted to Blackboard by 11:59 p.m. on their due dates. The final Group Project is due Friday of Week 16.

NOTE: We are piloting a beta version of an open education resource book this semester. Using an OER will save students $50-70 for textbook costs. I will be asking for feedback from you on this textbook throughout the semester. You may choose to read the book online, or you may download the pdf and print out a physical copy (recommended).

I’ll try to keep to this schedule to help you plan. However, occasional changes may be necessary to accommodate needs of this class. Any changes will be announced on Blackboard.

Week One August 19-25: Introduction to Literary Analysis

Welcome to Week One! This week, we will learn more about different critical approaches to literary texts that we will focus on throughout the course. We will also complete a baseline literary analysis assignment. Note: The average student will take 7.5 hours to complete each week’s assignments

Due by Tuesday before class*

1.01 Read through the syllabus and let me know if you have questions .25 hours

1.02 In Class (online students should complete this activity by Thursday): Review the Course Tour PowerPoint .25 hours

1.03 In Class (online students should complete this activity by Thursday): Overview of Part One (What Is Literature? And What Is Biographical Criticism) of Critical Worlds.

*Online students should complete this work by Thursday at 11:59 p.m. 

Due by Thursday

1.04 Engagement verification survey. You may be dropped from the course if you do not complete this.

1.05 Introduce yourself to the class on our Introductions board. .25 hours

1.06 Read Part One of Critical Worlds. 2.5 hours

Due by Sunday

1.07 Homework: Read “Theories of Time and Space” by Natasha Trethewey .5 hours (note: if you attend class in person, we may have time to work on this together).

1.08 Annotate (mark up) “Theories of Time and Space,” then write a brief 300-600 word (1-2 page) analysis of the poem using Biographical Criticism (Critical Worlds Part 1). This is your first week writing assessment, required to verify attendance. Please use MLA style. (Note: I will provide you with examples and models for assignments in Week Two, after the class completes this baseline assessment). You will earn full credit for submitting an assignment that attempts a biographical analysis of the poem, regardless of grammar, format, or style errors.  1 hour 25 points

1.09 Start reading Klara and the Sun (see page assignments in Bb) 1 hour (feel free to read ahead!)

1.10 Read Critical Worlds Part 2: New Criticism (all chapters) 1.5 hours

Week Two August 26-September 1: The Text (New Criticism)

In Week Two, we will begin our journey through critical worlds with New Criticism. You are probably already familiar with this method of literary analysis. New Criticism describes the “business” of literature scholars, positing that certain universal elements define literature and point students toward a single meaning for a literary text. You will begin your first essay by choosing one of three assigned poems.

Note: The average student will take 7.5 hours to complete each week’s assignments

Due Tuesday before class*

2.01 Read Critical Worlds Part 2: New Criticism (all chapters) 1.5 hours

2.02 Read the three poems that may be used for Essay #1 and choose the one you would like to work with. Begin annotating the poem. 1 hour

• Duy Doan’s “Mother’s Dirge” https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/144381/mothers-dirge-59bc0225c5a1d
• Afaa Michael Weaver’s “American Income” https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/49296/american-income
• Alison C. Rollin’s “Object Permanence” https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/147627/object-permanence-5b7339ac519fe

2.03 Attend class Tuesday or review the New Criticism PowerPoint presentation online (Critical Worlds Part 3) .5 hours

*Online students should complete this work by Thursday 11:59 p.m. 

Due Thursday

2.04 Theoretical Response: New Criticism. Please follow the instructions for theoretical responses posted in “Assignments.” 3 hours

Due Sunday

2.05 (Online students only): Students who are attending online must also comment on two classmates’ posts, choosing classmates who wrote about a different text than the one you chose for your response. 1 hour

2.06 Read Klara and the Sun 1 hour ((see assigned pages in Bb; complete before Tuesday’s class)

Week Three September 2*-8: Novel

*Note: Monday, September 2 is Labor Day. CWI Campus will be closed.

This week, we will begin to work with our novel, Klara and the Sun by Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro. We will review terminology you have learned in prior literature courses and begin to explore how we can apply the types of literary criticism we are learning in this course to Ishiguro’s work. Klara and the Sun deals with several topical issues including the rise of AI, technology disruption, climate change, and the nature of faith. Note: The average student will take 7.5 hours to complete each week’s assignments

Due Tuesday before class*

3.01 Read Klara and the Sun (see assigned pages in Bb)

3.02 Attend class Tuesday or review the Novel PowerPoint presentation online .5 hours

*Online students should complete this work by Thursday 11:59 p.m. 

Due Thursday

3.03 Reading Response #1 Klara and the Sun due. Please see the guidelines and submit your response in the required 3-part format (summary/response/questions) by creating a thread in our forum and copying and pasting your response. Do not attach a document to the discussion.

Due Sunday

3.04 (Online students only): Students who are attending online must also comment on two classmates’ posts    1 hour

3.05 Submit your Essay #1 Poem Rough Draft for peer review.

3.06 Continue to read Klara and the Sun (see Bb for page numbers) 1 hour due by Tuesday of Week Seven

3.07 Read Critical Worlds Part 3 Reader Response (all chapters) before next Tuesday class.

Week Four September 9-15: The Reader (Reader Response)

In Week Four, we will return to Critical Worlds to learn about Reader Response criticism. There are two types: receptive (the implied audience) and subjective (you as an individual), and both forms have value as we prepare to learn more advanced methods of inquiry. You will complete peer review and submit the final draft of your first essay on the poem you chose. Note: The average student will take 7.5 hours to complete each week’s assignments

Due Tuesday before class*

4.01 Read Critical Worlds Part 3 (all chapters): Reader Response 1.5 hours

4.02 Attend class Tuesday or review the Reader Response PowerPoint presentation online .5 hours

*Online students should complete this work by Thursday 11:59 p.m. 

Due Thursday

4.03 Theoretical Response: Reader Response. Please follow the instructions for theoretical responses posted in “Assignments.” 3 hours

4.04 Essay One Peer Reviews Due 30 points

Due Sunday

4.05 (Online students only): Students who are attending online must also comment on two classmates’ posts, choosing classmates who wrote about a different text than the one you chose for your response. 1 hour

4.06 Essay One Poem Due to Blackboard Sunday 11:59 p.m. 100 points

4.07 Read Critical Worlds Part 4 Deconstruction (all chapters) before next Tuesday class.

Week Five September 16-22: The Gap (Deconstruction)

In Week Five, we will learn about structuralism and deconstruction/postmodernism. Modern critical theory often develops in conversation with art and literature, and we will explore some examples of this phenomenon as well as learning more about “death of the author.” Deconstruction is particularly relevant to questions posed in Klara and the Sun (which you should continue reading this week. You will need to finish the book by Week 7). Note: The average student will take 7.5 hours to complete each week’s assignments.

Due Tuesday before class*

5.01 Read Critical Worlds Part Four: Deconstruction (all chapters)

5.02 Attend class Tuesday or review the Deconstruction PowerPoint presentation .5 hours

*Online students should complete this work by Thursday 11:59 p.m. Online students should also read “The Glass Mountain” by Donald Barthelme. This short story demonstrates how deconstruction and postmodern writing developed in conversation.

Due Thursday

5.03 Theoretical Response: Deconstruction. Please follow the instructions for theoretical responses posted in “Assignments.” 3 hours

Due Sunday

5.04 (Online students only): Students who are attending online must also comment on two classmates’ posts, choosing classmates who wrote about a different text than the one you chose for your response. 1 hour

5.05 Read Klara and the Sun 2 hours due Tuesday Week 7 (Note: It’s a good idea to complete the novel as soon as possible)

5.06 Read Critical Worlds Part 5: New Historicism and Cultural Studies (all chapters) before Tuesday’s class

Week Six September 23-29: The Context (New Historicism and Cultural Studies)

In Week Six, we will use New Historicism and Cultural Studies to consider how the context shapes both the writing and reception of texts. We will learn to view texts as cultural artifacts. You will continue to read Klara and the Sun. Note: The average student will take 7.5 hours to complete each week’s assignments.

Due Tuesday before class*

6.01 Read Critical Worlds Part 5: New Historicism and Cultural Studies (all chapters)) 2 hours

6.02 Attend class Tuesday or review the New Historicism/Cultural Studies PowerPoint presentation online .5 hours

*Online students should complete this work by Thursday 11:59 p.m. 

Due Thursday

6.03 Theoretical Response: New Historicism/Cultural Studies. Please follow the instructions for theoretical responses posted in “Assignments.” 3 hours

 Due Sunday

6.04 (Online students only): Students who are attending online must also comment on two classmates’ posts, choosing classmates who wrote about a different text than the one you chose for your response. 1 hour

6.05 Read Klara and the Sun 2 hours due Tuesday Week 7 (Note: It’s a good idea to complete the novel as soon as possible)

Week Seven September 30-October 6: Novel

In Week Seven, we will complete our reading of Klara and the Sun. We will workshop thesis statements for our second essay in class and online. Note: The average student will take 7.5 hours to complete each week’s assignments. Note: The average student will take 7.5 hours to complete each week’s assignments

Due Tuesday before class*

7.01 Complete Klara and the Sun.

7.02 Attend class Tuesday for an essay two thesis statement workshop. Students who attend online should post their thesis statements to the discussion in Blackboard for my feedback. There is no online PowerPoint this week. Use the extra time to work on your essay, schedule an appointment with the writing center, or send a draft of your essay to your instructor for a quick review.

*Online students should complete this work by Thursday 11:59 p.m. 

Due Thursday

7.03 Reading Response #2 Klara and the Sun. Please see the guidelines and submit your response in the required 3-part format (summary/response/questions) by creating a thread in our forum and copying and pasting your response. Do not attach a document to the discussion.

Due Sunday

7.04 (Online students only): Students who are attending online must also comment on two classmates’ posts. 1 hour

7.05 Read Critical Worlds Part 6: Marxist, Postcolonial, and Ethnic Studies Criticism (all chapters) before class on Tuesday.

Week Eight October 7-13: Power (Marxist, Postcolonial, Ethnic Studies Criticism)

In Week Eight, we will expand our New Historicism and Cultural Studies knowledge to learn more about Marxist, postcolonial, and ethnic studies forms of literary criticism, which use elements of deconstruction to break down the notion of stable historical facts, demonstrating how literature reflects power structures in society. We will also work on the rough draft of our second essay to submit for peer review. Note: The average student will take 7.5 hours to complete ech week’s assignments

Due Tuesday before class*

8.01 Read Critical Worlds Part 6: Marxist, Postcolonial, and Ethnic Studies Criticism (all chapters) 1.5 hours

8.02 Attend class Tuesday or review the Marxist, Postcolonial, and Ethnic Studies Criticism PowerPoint presentation online .5 hours

*Online students should complete this work by Thursday 11:59 p.m. 

 Due Thursday

8.03 Theoretical Response: Marxist, Postcolonial, and Ethnic Studies Criticism. Please follow the instructions for theoretical responses posted in “Assignments.” 3 hours

Due Sunday

8.04 (Online students only): Students who are attending online must also comment on two classmates’ posts, choosing classmates who wrote about a different text than the one you chose for your response. 1 hour

8.05 Submit your Essay #2 Novel Rough Draft for peer review.

8.06 Read Critical Worlds Part 7: Psychological Criticism (all chapters) before class on Tuesday.

Week Nine October 14-20: The Mind (Psychological Criticism)

In Week Nine, we will learn about psychological criticism, exploring different theorists we can apply to literature including Freud, Jung, and Chodorow. Note: The average student will take 7.5 hours to complete each week’s assignments

Due Tuesday before class*

9.01 Read Critical Worlds Part Seven: Psychological Criticism (all chapters)

9.02 Attend class Tuesday or review the Psychological Criticism PowerPoint.

*Online students should complete this work by Thursday 11:59 p.m. 

Due Thursday

9.03 Theoretical Response: Psychological Criticism (choose one activity). Please follow the instructions for theoretical responses posted in “Assignments.” 3 hours

9.04 Essay Two Peer Reviews Due 30 points

Due Sunday

9.05 Essay Two Novel Due to Blackboard 100 points

9.06 Read A Movie Star Has to Star in Black and White (due before class next Tuesday)

Week Ten October 21-27: Play and Article Analysis

In Week Ten, we will turn our attention to drama by reading a one-act play by Obie-award winning playwright Adrienne Kennedy. A Movie Star Has to Star in Black and White takes familiar tropes and subverts them, revealing stereotypes that exist in American society. We will use this text to learn about literary scholarship. In Essay Three, you will complete a rhetorical analysis of a scholarly article and respond to that article as a literary scholar. This essay will prepare you to work with sources for our fourth essay. Note: The average student will take 7.5 hours to complete each week’s assignments

Due Tuesday before class*

10.01 Read A Movie Star Has to Star in Black and White 1.5 hours

10.02 Attend class Tuesday or review the Drama PowerPoint presentation online. Review the Essay Three Article Analysis PowerPoint.5 hours

*Online students should complete this work by Thursday 11:59 p.m. 

Due Thursday

10.03 Reading Response #3 A Movie Star Has to Star in Black and White is due. Please see the guidelines and submit your response in the required 3-part format (summary/response/questions) by creating a thread in our forum and copying and pasting your response. Do not attach a document to the discussion.

10.04 Choose an article to work with for Essay Three from the Essay Three articles folder. You should skim 3-4 articles to find one that resonates with you.

Due Sunday

10.05 (Online students only): Students who are attending online must also comment on two classmates’ posts. 1 hour

10.06 Read pdfs of assigned short stories in Blackboard by Sunday of week 11. You will read all the stories and rank them in the order that you want to work with them for Essay Four.

10.07 Read Critical Worlds Part Eight: Gender Criticism (all chapters)

Week Eleven October 28-November 3: Gender: Feminist, Postfeminist, and Queer Theory Criticism; BEAM Method of Source Analysis

This week, we will work with Part Nine of Critical Worlds as we learn more about feminist/post-feminist criticism and Queer Theory. We will continue to work on our third essays, article analysis (rough draft due Week 12 for peer review). We will also learn more about rhetorical analysis and literary scholarship as we prepare to locate and use sources for our final essay and group project. We will use the BEAM method to learn how literary scholars use sources in different ways. Note: The average student will take 7.5 hours to complete each week’s assignments

Due Tuesday before class*

11.01 Read and annotate your chosen article (10.04) about A Movie Star Has to Star in Black and White.

11.02 Read Critical Worlds Part Eight: Gender Criticism (all chapters)1.5 hours

11.03 Attend class Tuesday or review the Gender Criticisms PowerPoint presentation and BEAM Method presentation online .5 hours

*Online students should complete this work by Thursday 11:59 p.m. 

Due Thursday

11.04 Theoretical Response: Gender Criticisms. Please follow the instructions for theoretical responses posted in “Assignments.” 3 hours

Due Sunday

11.05 (Online students only): Students who are attending online must also comment on two classmates’ posts, choosing classmates who wrote about a different text than the one you chose for your response. 1 hour

11.06 Read pdfs of assigned short stories in Blackboard. Take the Short Story Group Project Quiz due Sunday. You will rank your stories and critical lenses in the order that you would prefer to use for essay four. It’s REALLY important that you complete this on time so I can assign you to a group. I will consider how early you submitted the quiz when I assign you your short story/lens.  25 points

11.07 Read Critical Worlds Part Nine: Ecocriticism (all chapters) before Tuesday’s class

Week Twelve November 4-10: Nature (Ecocriticism); Introduction to Final Group Project

In Week Twelve, I will make group project assignments by Tuesday. I will introduce the group project and your final essay in class. We will finish up our exploration of critical lenses with ecocriticism. Finally, we will submit Essay Three for peer review. Note: The average student will take 7.5 hours to complete each week’s assignments

Due Tuesday before class*

12.01 Read Critical Worlds Part Nine: Ecocriticism (all chapters)

12.02 Attend class Tuesday or review the Ecocriticism PowerPoint presentation online. Review the group project presentation and instructions online. 2 hours

*Online students should complete this work by Thursday 11:59 p.m. 

Due Thursday

12.03 Theoretical Response: Ecocriticism. Please follow the instructions for theoretical responses posted in “Assignments.” 3 hours

Due Sunday

12.04 (Online students only): Students who are attending online must also comment on two classmates’ posts, choosing classmates who wrote about a different text than the one you chose for your response. 1 hour

12.05 Submit Essay Three Article Analysis Essay Draft for peer reviews

12.06 Contact your group members, choose your group roles, and submit group project proposal to your group’s forum.

Week Thirteen November 11-17: Reading & Locating Literary Criticism

In Week Thirteen, our Arts and Humanities librarian will visit the class to guide us through locating scholarship in JSTOR. We will continue to work on the group project, starting with the annotated bibliography. Finally, we will complete peer review and submit Essay Three: Article Analysis.

Due Tuesday before class*

13.01 Annotate your assigned short story and brainstorm possible topics for your final essay.

13.02 Attend class Tuesday or review watch the recording of our librarian showing you how to locate sources in JSTOR online.5 hours

*Online students should complete this work by Thursday 11:59 p.m. 

Due Thursday

13.03 Essay Three Article Analysis Peer Reviews Due 30 points

13.04 Start looking for articles for your group annotated bibliography by using our Ask Our Librarian discussion board. We have a non-graded “Ask Our Librarian” discussion board beginning this week. Use this discussion board to get help with research for the Group Project or ask any other questions about library research and working with sources.

Due Sunday

13.05 Essay #3 Article Analysis Due Sunday 100 points

13.06 Make sure your group has established internal deadlines for annotated bibliography and rough drafts. From this point, your group will establish your own internal deadlines.

13.07 Complete the end of course evaluation. If 70% of the class completes the end of course evaluation, I will give the entire class 5 extra credit points.

Weeks Fourteen-Sixteen November 18-December 13: Final Group Project (Your Group Deadlines)

In the final weeks of the course, your schedule and due dates will be determined by your group. I will continue to work with project managers, and we will have our classroom available for individual and group work/meetings on Tuesdays. Note: The average student will take 7.5 hours to complete each week’s assignments

Thanksgiving Break November 25-December 1: No Assignments*

*I do not expect you to work over the break; however, if you are behind on assignments, if your group has internal deadlines, or if you plan to revise and resubmit essays, this is a good time to work on things.

Due Friday, December 13 1:00 p.m.

Project Managers must post the link to their group’s chapter of our critical edition textbook no later than 1:00 p.m. on Friday, December 13.

Due Friday, December 13 11:59 p.m.

16.01 Submit final draft of Essay #4 to Blackboard for grading (100 points)

16.02 Submit your course reflection letter (20 points)

16.03 Submit your peer feedback form (15 points)

16.04 Optional: Submit any revised essays (1-3) for regrading

Your Fall 2024 final grades will be available on myCWI Friday, December 20.