SURVEY OF ENGLISH LIT. I

Objectives: In this course, we will discuss British literature, including some of the earliest recorded literature in the English language, through the mid-1700's, fostering an appreciation of the works in various genres of these early periods. We will also consider social, political, religious, and personal factors that influenced both the authors and the readers or audiences of these works and affected early views on literary canon. In addition, we'll cover some of the terminology and methodology of literary study and work on critical thinking and writing skills associated with the thorough exploration of a literary concept. This English course is one of the early period survey options for English majors and also fulfills JMU's General Education, Cluster two, Group three requirement .

Required Texts:
The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume IA,IB,IC, Eighth Edition
A good dictionary
(Additional materials may occasionally be made available on reserve or online, or handed out in class.)

Work and Grading: "Ungraded" Assignments 11%, Essays/Papers (44%), Midterm (22%), Final (22%). The tentative due dates for two papers are posted on the schedule below. Details about essay/paper guidelines and options will be covered in class at the appropriate times. Similarly, the dates for the midterm and final exams are also posted (but doublecheck the final exam date against the university schedule), and we will discuss the details of these exams as you prepare to study for them. All work assigned for outside of class must be completed BEFORE class time on the day it is due and must submitted on time and in-class except in cases where permission for late submission or an alternative submission method is given in advance. (In rare, well-justified circumstances that make it impossible to contact me beforehand, I may consider requests after a due date.) Outside-class assignments, depending on their size, will be announced at least one class period before they are due and posted as links at the bottom of this webpage no later than the night of that same day. (Note that assignment links are named and ordered by the date they are due.) If you miss a class, you are responsible for checking these links and doing any assignment due the next class period. In addition, there will be some in-class assignments, which may not be announced in advance. Therefore, missing classes can affect your assignment grade. You are also (obviously) responsible for any material covered if you miss a class. Unless I state otherwise, assignments will be "ungraded" in that sense that I will only evaluate them as an acceptable effort (full credit) or as an unacceptable effort (no credit). This means you won't be penalized for incorrect information as long as it doesn't reflect a lack of reading or a lack of effort at thoughtful preparation. In other words, you just need to show an honest effort on all parts of the assignment to get a "100." Also, you may miss or skip one ungraded assignment, other then those specifically indicated, without affecting your grade at all. As in all your courses, your work for this course is subject to the JMU Honor Code. If you have a question or uncertainty about what constitutes plagiarism or about other aspects of the honor code, see me for clarification as soon as the question arises, before submitting work. No violations of the honor code will be tolerated or excused. Finally, ALWAYS MAKE A COPY OF YOUR WORK BEFORE TURNING IT IN.

Daily Schedule: (Note that this is a tentative schedule of what will be discussed in each class period. Check for revisions.) All readings, unless otherwise specified, are from the Norton Anthology. With the exception of the introductory material scheduled for the first day of class, you should always have readings done BEFORE the class during which they are to be discussed.

Look here for Assignments:
• Due 8/26/09