Lake-Sumter State College Course SyllabusCourse Information:Course Prefix/Number: AML 2020

Course Title: American Literature from 1865 to Present

CRN: 30111

Credit Hours: 3

Semester: Summer A

Class Days, Location, Time: Online

Course Description: This course examines literature of the United States written from 1865 to the present. Readings will be drawn from a mixture of canonical and marginal figures, and will include a mixture of essays, fiction, and poetry as well as longer works. The emphasis in the course will be on texts and contexts; that is, on the works we read and on the cultural, historical, economic, and political contexts in which those works were produced and disseminated. The course includes literary analysis, written exposition, and interpretation.

Instructor Information: Name: Matt Kennedy

E-Mail: Kennedym@lssc.edu

Office Location: 2-233 South Lake

Phone: 352-536-2244

Office Hours:

Mon: 11:00-2:00 (Online)

Vital Communication Information:For e-mail, please note that all students are required to use Lakehawk Mail for official college e-mail communications. See the college webpage for instructions on activating Lakehawk Mail.

Sending a private message using the MESSAGES tool in Canvas is always the most secure method of contacting your Instructor.

Please remember that any phone contact with your Instructor should be of a professional nature. Please always leave a clear, concise, but detailed message with your contact and class information. Always follow up a phone call with a written account via Canvas Message or e-mail.

Prerequisites/Co-requisites:Prerequisites: C or higher in ENC 1102 or ENC 2210 or ENC 2300

Co-requisites: None

Textbook & Other Course Materials:

Baym, Nina. Ed. The Norton Anthology of American Literature: 1865 to the Present. Ninth edition. New

York: W.W. Norton, 2017. ISBN 978-0-393-26453-1

Technology Requirements:Canvas is a required component of this course. Students unfamiliar with Canvas are expected to complete the Canvas Orientation from LSSC’s website within the first week of classes.

Major writing assignments need to be created and saved in a file format that is compatible with Microsoft Word. If using a word processing program other than Word, it is the student’s responsibility to adhere to all formatting and submission requirements. Please ask for help if you are unsure how to save a file in a Word-compatible format.

Please see the LSSC Lakehawk Page for information on how to obtain Microsoft Office 365 as an LSSC Student.

Student Learning Outcomes:The following outcomes will be assessed in this course. An “outcome” is defined as something students take with them beyond this course. After successful completion of this course, the student will:

Outcomes: Demonstrate analytical thinking skills with the ability to conduct close readings and to interpret and analyze passages of literature.Competencies: Read about and identify intercultural experiences in essays and literature, learning from and synthesizing the information.Apply basic principles of critical analysis in the development of a coherent and unified argument.Outcomes: Demonstrate the ability to select appropriate academic sources of literary criticism and to incorporate literary theory into critical analysis essays based on literature employing an accepted academic documentation system.Competencies: Write formal research paper(s) utilizing proper MLA Style for format & documentation and utilize academically accepted resources in the creation of research project(s).Outcomes: Write an essay that uses critical analysis and interpretation which illustrates college-level language and communication skills.Competencies: Write & edit essays that are free of surface issues, including grammar, spelling, & punctuation issues. Write & edit essays that employ accepted Standard English, use appropriate connotation/denotation, adopt an academic level of formality, and avoid clichés, jargon, slang, doublespeak, etc.Outcomes: Identify and discuss, major periods, authors, themes and works in literature.Competencies: Understand and apply critical reading skills in responding to and critically analyzing written text.Utilize appropriate modes of rhetorical development, i.e. analysis and argument and apply literary theory in written assignments.Outcomes: Recognize the importance of planning and creating projects in a timely manner to meet both a list of criteria and a deadline.

Competencies: Use the writing process to follow through a major research project: choosing an appropriate topic, formulating a valid thesis, outlining a project, gathering resources, producing the paper/project, revising it thoroughly, & proofreading it effectively.

Course Objectives:Objectives are defined as what the course will do and/or what the students will do as part of the course.

1. To examine the historical, political, cultural, and personal contexts surrounding a writer’s works and manifested within those works.

2. To examine the characteristics of the genres of realism, modernism, and postmodernism and to explore several works within this context.

3. To develop an awareness of the complex interplay among divergent voices in the nation’s literature, discovering relationships among the nation’s literary past and present.

4. To recognize and understand literary conventions and themes within these works and to become better readers of literature.

5. To continue to develop skills in analysis, interpretation, and comparison of text and authors’ work.6. To think critically about the literature using several frameworks and to articulate responses,

interpretations, and arguments in writing.7. To increase knowledge of and practice with research techniques and the use of MLA

documentation.

Institutional Policies & Procedures:Academic Integrity:The successful functioning of the academic community demands honesty, which is the basis of respect for both ideas and persons. In the academic community, there is an ongoing assumption of academic integrity at all levels. There is the expectation that work will be independently thoughtful and responsible as to its sources of information and inspiration. Honesty is an appropriate consideration in other ways as well, including but not limited to the responsible use of library resources, responsible conduct in examinations, and the responsible use of the Internet See college catalog for complete statement.

Important Information for Students with Disabilities:Any student with a documented disability who requires assistance or academic accommodations should contact the Office for Students with Disabilities immediately to discuss eligibility. The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) is located on the Leesburg Campus, but arrangements can be made to meet with a student on any campus. An appointment can be made by calling 352-365-3589 and specific information about the OSD and potential services can be found at Disability Services.

Privacy Policy (FERPA):The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of a student’s education records. In order for your information to be released, a form must be signed and in your records located in the Admissions/Registrar’s Office.

Zero-Tolerance for Violence Statement:Lake-Sumter State College has a policy of zero tolerance for violence as stated in College Board Rule 2.17. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with Board Rule 2.17.

Attendance/Withdrawal Policies:Institutional Information:Once the Add/Drop period passes, students deciding to discontinue class attendance and/or online participation have the responsibility for formal withdrawal by the withdrawal deadline.

Withdrawal Deadline:6/7

Instructor Policies:Canvas Email is the quickest way to receive help. You can email your instructor at any time at kennedym@lssc.edu. I will check once a day (Mondays-Fridays). Messages sent in the afternoon will be answered the next business day.

Please do not send messages through Lake Hawk mail. Canvas Mail is the only system that is not public record, so I can’t discuss class issues on any other format.

Plagiarism will result in complete and total failure of this course. Please follow all rules of academic honesty. Give credit where credit is due, and ask your instructor if you need help understanding what plagiarism is.

Late Work/Extensions:In most cases, late work is not accepted in this course. Please pay attention to due dates and plan accordingly.

If there is an emergency (funeral or hospital stay), contact your instructor to request an extension before the due date.

Technology Issue on the Due Date: If you have a technology issue with Canvas on the day an assignment is due, e-mail your instructor immediately. If the assignment is a quiz, I will reset it. If the assignment is an essay or PowerPoint, include it as an attachment with the e-mail within ONE DAY of the due date, or it will not be accepted. (You will still have to submit it to Canvas once the technology issue is resolved.)

Classroom Etiquette:Follow all rules of etiquette. Treat your instructor and classmates with kindness and respect. Believe the best of everyone until you have reason to believe otherwise, and even then, treat your instructor and classmates with kindness and respect.

Grading Information:Grading Scale: A 90-100%B 80-89%

C 70-79%D 60-69%F 59% and belowMethods of Evaluation:Each project will be graded electronically using a rubric provided when the assignment is given. Your work will be judged against accepted academic standards for writing and documentation.

Assignment Overview & Grade Breakdown:Category Description Points or %

AML 2020 Essay This literary analysis essay explores the themes of a major work of American Fiction.

300

Author Power Point Present information about an important American author. 100

Dramatic Character PowerPoint and OralPresentation

This is an analysis of the characters and themes of a major work of American Drama. Includes an oral presentation.

150

Class Participation,Discussions,Quizzes,

Students will complete discussions and quizzes on Canvas, based on the assigned reading. Students will also complete the Drama Analysis worksheet.

350

Final Exam

Total Points

To be completed on Canvas 100

TOTAL: 1,000

Course Calendar: Subject to change at the instructor’s discretion.

Unit Begins Ends Objectives & Reading Assignments Items Due

Intro Unit

5/7 5/9 Read Course Syllabus & Policies

Complete Introduction Discussion

Select an Author for your Author PowerPoint Presentation. Choose any author from the book and create a thread with the author’s name in “Discussions/ Author Selection Forum”

Introduction: The Gilded Age (1-17)

Select a novel to read for the AML 2020 Essay.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (108-291) by Mark Twain

DUE 5/9: Complete Introduction Discussion

Unit Begins Ends Objectives & Reading Assignments Items Due

Or

The Awakening by Kate Chopin (Not in textbook; borrow from the library or buy on Amazon)

Unit 1 5/10 5/20 Work on Author PowerPoints for your selected author.

Kate Chopin: Biography (441)Dèsirèe’s Baby (442-446)The Story of an Hour (446-447)

Mark Twain: The War Prayer (Online)

Walt Whitman Biography (20-23)When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d (76)

Emily Dickinson Biography (82)Poems (86-100)

DUE 5/20: Author PowerPoints Due

DUE 5/20: Complete Unit 1 Assignments and Quiz

Unit 2 5/21 5/27 Ambrose Bierce: Biography (326)An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (327)

Sarah Orne Jewett: Biography (432)A White Heron (434)

Edith Wharton: Biography (524)Roman Fever (540)

Jack London: Biography (639)To Build a Fire (641)

W.E.B Du Bois: Biography (559)From The Souls of Black Folk (561)

Work on Fiction Essay

DUE 5/27: Complete Unit 2 Assignments and Quizzes

Work on Fiction Essay

Unit Begins Ends Objectives & Reading Assignments Items Due

Unit 3 5/28 6/3 Introduction: The Two Wars as Historical Markers (667-685)

Zora Neale Hurston: Biography (948)Sweat (950)

Edwin Arlington Robinson: Biography (688)Richard Corey (689)

Robert Frost: Biography (735) Poems (736-749)

H.D. (Hilda Doolittle): Biography (818)Poems (820-822)

T.S. Eliot: Biography (365-367)The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock (368-371)The Hollow Men (391-394)

Langston Hughes: Biography (1036)Poems (1037-1043)

Countee Cullen: Biography (1053)Poems (1054)

Work on Fiction Essay

DUE 6/3: Complete Unit 3 Discussion and Responses

DUE 6/3: Fiction Essay Due

Unit 4 6/4 6/10 Introduction: American Literature Since 1945 (1069-1086)

Tennessee Williams: Biography (90-93)

Arthur Miller: Biography (236-238)

August Wilson: Biography (927-928)

Choose ONE of these plays to read:

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams (116-1947)

Or

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (1221-1289)

Or

Fences by August Wilson (Not in Textbook; borrow from library or purchase on Amazon)

Work on Drama Analysis Worksheet,

Due 6/10: Submit Drama Analysis Worksheet

Work on Character PowerPoint and Oral Presentation

Unit Begins Ends Objectives & Reading Assignments Items Due

Character PowerPoint, and Oral Presentation

Unit 5 6/11 6/17 Theodore Roethke: Biography (1091)Poems (1092-1095)

Gwendolyn Brooks: Biography (1300)Poems (1301-1304)

Sylvia Plath: Biography (1442)Poems (1444-1450)

Billy Collins: Biography (1553)Poems (1554-1556)

Raymond Carver: Biography (1531)Cathedral (1532)

Alice Walker Biography (1567)Everyday Use (1568)

Work on Character PowerPoint and Oral Presentation

DUE 6/17: Complete Unit 5 Discussion and quiz

DUE 6/17: Character PowerPoint and Oral Presentation

Unit 6 6/19 6/19 Review for the final Exam.

Finals 6/20 6/21 Final Exam open from 6/20 –6/21

Final Exam Due: 6/21

Syllabus Disclaimer:Information contained in this syllabus is, to the best knowledge of this instructor, considered correct and complete when distributed to the student. The instructor reserves the right, acting within policies and procedures of Lake-Sumter State College, to make necessary changes in course content or instructional techniques without prior notice or obligation to the student.