Instructions

Please read through the Spring 2023 Syllabus for the class and then complete this Syllabus Quiz to check your understanding of our course plan for this semester.

The "Heart" of Our Syllabus (you can use as "notes" once you've looked over the doc)

Course materials: Buy the textbook NOW if you haven't already. You may mark up and return rentals to Amazon and to the bookstore.

- Graff, Birkenstein. They Say/I Say, 5th edition, 2021. ISBN: 978-0-393-53870-0
- You'll need access to this Canvas site, and an understanding of how it works (navigation, uploading assignments, inbox, and discussions), to Google docs for papers, unless you have another type of software (please upload doc, docx or PDF or else I can't make annotations on your papers in Canvas). You'll need access to Zoom to meet with me or with classmates if desired.

Major assignments and grade components: There are three main modules in the course, each of which will take approximately 5-6 weeks to complete (for a total of 17 weeks). Each module is based on the theme of "storytelling" in some way (why we tell them, which ones are most popular and why, and how to decipher fiction from fact), and each module will build from smaller "low-stakes" assignments to a major paper.

- Project 1: Nightmares and Dreams/Mythology -- Summary Essay of 3-4 pages + revision worth 25%
- Project 2: Heroes and Monsters/Fiction -- Applied Analysis Essay of 3-4 pages + revision worth 25%
- Project 3: Us and Them/Research -- Argument Essay of 4-5 pages + proposal worth 25%
- Miscellaneous: Reading responses, MLA tests, quizzes, discussions 25%
- Grade scale A (90-100), B (80-89), C (70-79), D (60-69), F (0-59)

How to succeed: Regular check-in and participation is essential to success in this course. Homework in the form of graded responses, quizzes or posts will be assigned weekly; don't focus solely on the main essays above as these low stakes assignments will help to prepare you for the bigger tasks (and they add up to a significant portion of your overall grade, as you can see above).

Requirements and deadlines: The MLA style must be followed for uploaded files (reading responses, major papers) or assignments will not be accepted. We will review the elements of style in the course, and will also use an online MLA handbook regularly for reference. Keep up with all assignments by staying on top of the deadlines outlined in Canvas. Contact me if you are falling behind and we can figure out a way to help you catch up. I take late work, but without a validated excuse, there will be a penalty (-1 per day late for smaller assignments, and -10 per day for major assignments 1 and 2). Project 3 can't be turned in late, because by the last day I'm up against my own deadlines to submit final grades. Failure to turn in one of the three major assignments will result in failure of the class, so stay on top of the work.

Grading

Canvas will grade this assignment automatically. Please complete before moving forward in the course.

Submission Resources