Kaskaskia
College Course Syllabus
LITO 107
(IAI H3 901)
I.
COURSE LOCATION
X ON
CAMPUS CCC
II. COURSE IDENTIFICATION
PREFIX: LITO NUMBER:
107 NAME:
Introduction to Fiction
3 LECTURE HOURS LIBA 04900 CURRICULUM
& NO.
0 LABORATORY HOURS 1.1/230301 PCS-CIPS NUMBER
3 CREDIT HOURS N VARIABLE (Y/N)
0 CLINICAL
HOURS N REPEATABLE
(Y/N)
0 SOE
HOURS 0 TIMES
III. DIVISION TO WHICH COURSE IS ASSIGNED
X BACCALAUREATE/TRANSFER
CAREER EDUCATION
CONTINUING
COMMUNITY EDUCATION
ABE/ASE
HEALTH
OCCUPATIONS
OTHER
IV. CATALOG DESCRIPTION OF COURSE
Reading and discussion of representative
short stories and novels from a range of literatures, with some attention to
critical work on fiction. Students
will increase their enjoyment and appreciation of fiction by reading a variety
of works and writers; come to understand the forms and functions of prose
fiction; be able to use relevant critical terms effectively; and analyze and
interpret prose fiction both in class discussion and in formal critical essays.
Written work includes essay exams and several formal papers (totaling 9-12
pages), in addition to any reading journals, class notes, or other informal
responses. A research paper is generally not required. All written work must
meet the usual standards for college-level writing, be clearly and coherently
presented and substantially free of surface errors. Students may be asked to
read aloud and attend one or more readings.
V.
PREREQUISITES FOR THE COURSE
.
None
VI. METHODS OF INSTRUCTION
X DISCUSSION‑LECTURE SEMINAR
LABORATORY TELE‑LECTURE (FILM‑TV)
CORRESPONDENCE LABORATORY‑DISCUSSION
TELEVISION (TELECOURSE) LECTURE
RADIO LECTURE‑LABORATORY
INDEPENDENT
STUDY OTHER (IDENTIFY):
CO‑OP
VII. OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE (USE ADDITIONAL
PAGES AS NECESSARY)
A. To
provide students a basic competence in using the tools and techniques of
literary analysis.
B. To provide a basic vocabulary and understanding of what fiction
is and the nature of its concerns.
C.
To foster a basic appreciation of the genres of literature, the short story and
novel.
D.
To assist students in intelligently expressing themselves in composition work.
VIII. A.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK(S)
TITLE:
Introduction to Fiction
AUTHOR(S): Kennedy and Gioia
COPYRIGHT DATE: 2007
EDITION: 10th
PUBLISHING COMPANY: Pearson Longman
TITLE:
AUTHOR(S):
COPYRIGHT DATE: EDITION:
PUBLISHING COMPANY:
B.
REQUIRED WORKBOOK(S)
TITLE:
AUTHOR(S):
COPYRIGHT DATE: EDITION:
PUBLISHING COMPANY:
IX. SUPPLEMENTARY INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
IDENTIFY GENERAL SOURCES:
Paperback
novels—instructor’s choice
IF EXTENSIVE COLLATERAL READINGS ARE REQUIRED
FROM SPECIFIC
BOOKS,
PROVIDE INFORMATION.
X.
METHODS OF EVALUATION OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE COURSE
Combination
objective and written examinations, out‑of‑class critical
appraisals totaling 9-12 pages, and class participation in discussion. Further readings and
examples on reserve in library.
(All
Humanities courses at Kaskaskia
College require 2500
words of typed work; students write 9-12 pages of critical analyses,
evaluations, and interpretations.)
XI. COURSE OUTLINE
I. Reading a Story.
A. Fable and Tale.
B. Plot.
C. The Short Story.
D. John Updike on
Writing, Why Write?
What's the Plot?
II. Point of View.
A.
Katherine Mansfield on Writing, Creating "Miss Brill."
B. How Point of View Shapes a Story.
C. Student Essay: Raymond Carver's Use
of First-Person Point of View in "Cathedral."
III. Character.
A. How Character
Creates Action.
IV. Setting.
A. Amy Tan on Writing, Setting the
Voice.
B. How Time and Place Set a Story.
V. Tone and Style.
A.
Irony.
B.
Ernest Hemingway on Writing, the Direct Style.
Be Style Conscious.
VI. Theme.
A. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., on Writing, the Themes of Science
Fiction.
B. Stating the Theme.
VII. Symbol.
A. Recognizing Symbols.
B. Student Essay. An Analysis of the Symbolism in Steinbeck's
"The Chrysanthemums."
VIII. Evaluating a Story.
A. Ralph Lombreglia
on Writing, Creating "Jungle Video."
B. Know What You're Judging.
IX. Reading Long Stories and Novels.
A. Franz Kafka on Writing, Discussing The
Metamorphosis.
B. Leaving Things Out
X. A Writer in Depth.
A. Flannery O'Connor on Writing,
The Element of Suspense in "A Good Man is Hard to Find."
B. Flannery O'Connor on Writing, The Serious Writer
and the Tired Reader.
C. How One Story Illuminates Another.
XI. Stories for Further Reading.
XII. Writing About
Literature.
A. Beginning.
B. Discovering and Planning.
C. Drafting and Revising.
D. The Form of Your Finished Paper.
E. Documenting Your Sources.
F. Reference Guide for Citations.
G. Keeping a Journal.
H. The Girl Writing Her English Paper,
Robert Wallace.
XIII. Writing About a Story.
A. Explicating.
B. Student Essay (Explication).
C. Analyzing.
D. Student Essay (Analysis).
E. Student Card Report.
F. Comparing and Contrasting.
G. Suggestions for Writing.
XIV. Writing and Researching on the Computer.
A. Writing and
Revising.
B. Using Spell-Check Programs.
C. Researching on the World Wide Web.
D. Two Ways to Start Researching.
E. Plagiarism.
F. Literature Online
XV. Critical Approaches to Literature.
A. Formalist
Criticism.
B. Biographical Criticism.
C. Historical Criticism.
D. Psychological Criticism.
E. Mythological Criticism.
F. Sociological Criticism.
G. Gender Criticism.
H. Reader-Response Criticism.
I. Deconstructionist Criticism.
J. Cultural Studies.
XVI. Longer Works of
Fiction
A.
The Novella
B.
The Novel
NOTE:
ü As part of the Kaskaskia College comprehensive Assessment Program
for Humanities, all instructors are asked to complete an assessment form that
lists some of the assessment techniques utilized at both the summative and
formative levels; the form also allows for the use of the data to make changes
to the course the next time that it is taught.
The grading standards/ rubric for all compositions and the assessment
form are attached.
PREPARED BY:
REVIEW/REVISION DATE:
REVIEWED BY:
Introduction
to Fiction, Lito 107, Student Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcome I:
Students should be able to read, understand, interpret,
and evaluate literary work.
More specifically, they should be able to do the following:
1. Recognize,
recall, and summarize material read.
2. Predict and
question the text during and after reading.
3. Understand the
various purposes for reading.
4. Be cognizant of the difficulties of the text and aware of
their own abilities and deficiencies.
5. Appreciate the
importance of motivation.
6. Draw
inferences thus enhancing appreciation for the complexities of the text.
7. Synthesize
information previously read with the current text.
8. Evaluate the
worth and value of the text.
9. Judge the
accuracy and reliability of the text.
Learning Outcome II:
Students
should be able to express and develop their ideas of the literary text by
writing grammatical, organized, and coherent essays.
More specifically, the students should be able to do the
following:
1. Generate ideas
by using various strategies to analyze the text.
2. Write for a
specific college audience and purpose, thus using appropriate language and
style.
3. Develop an
essay with a clear thesis.
4. Support that thesis
with textual information.
5. Organize the
essay coherently and logically using appropriate rhetorical strategies.
6. Write in
standard, written English.
7. Revise and
proofread.
8. Use writing as
a means of developing thought and clarifying ideas.
Learning Outcome III:
Students
should be exposed to a variety of writers, ideas, artistic motives, and
genres. The students should also be
introduced to the vocabulary necessary to understand literature. More importantly, they should discover those
universal themes and ideas that have motivated human beings to express
themselves in language, ranging from mundane concerns to their highest
aspirations.
More specifically, the student should be able to do the
following:
1. Recognize the various strategies for
examining a literary text.
2. Distinguish
among popular and serious fiction.
3. Understand the elements of the various
literary subgenres, including the short story, the novella, and the novel.
4. Comprehend
figurative language.
5. Discover literary themes and their
traditions, both American and English traditions, history, and writers.
6. Recognize and
appreciate the implications of symbolism, allegory, and myth.
7. Incorporate much of the more subtle and
specific literary terms into their vocabulary.
8. Appreciate the universal themes and the
transcultural themes that give literary study a
global perspective.
9. Understand
the works of major writers in each genre so as to see the genre's history and
changes within that genre relevant to the specific era; for example, Hardy must
be seen in terms of Victorian society but the influences on Hardy's form and
ideas and his influence on future British and American writers are also
relevant.
10. Cultivate an awareness of art's role in
everyday life and to appreciate the relevancy between life and art.
11. See
fiction as an expression of human values, to see values as a necessary
ingredient in all human endeavor, yet simultaneously
maintain that tolerance for differing views is fundamental in artistic
expression and for the academic discipline and its discourse.
English
Department
COMPOSITION GRADING
STANDARDS
While appreciating the individualism inherent in the essay
grading process, the department adheres to the holistic method of evaluating
essays and expects consideration of content, structure, and mechanics. The
following standards in grading are designed to establish uniformity among all
teachers of Composition:
EXCELLENT ESSAY --A
Content-- The content of the A essay exhibits a
mature level of thought with a clearly stated thesis and abundant support in
the forms of concrete examples, details, and reasoning. The essay addresses the
specified audience and the assigned rhetorical mode.
Structure—It
is structured with a complete introduction, graceful transitions through
supporting paragraphs, and a fitting conclusion.
Mechanics—Mechanically,
the paper employs a variety of sentence structures, precise word choice, and
figures of speech to create a clear tone; it is void of repetition, wordiness,
and colloquialisms.
GOOD ESSAY-- B
Content-- The B essay
has a clearly stated thesis; the supporting paragraphs exhibit adequate
examples and details with clear reasoning. The essay addresses the specified
audience and the assigned rhetorical mode.
Structure-- The structure
displays an introduction, clear transitions, and an acceptable conclusion. If
not highly impactful, it has few structural weaknesses.
Mechanics-- The paper's
mechanics consist of a variety of sentence structures and accurate word
choices; it has few errors in Standard English. However, a mere absence of
errors should not be rewarded with a grade of 6-.
AVERAGE ESSAY--C
Content-- The average essay has a clearly stated
thesis; however, it is often trite or general. It attempts to display examples
and details, but fails to provoke thought. The essay fails to address the
specified audience, but it does reflect the assigned rhetorical mode.
Structure-- The structure
presents a beginning, middle, and end, but lacks transitions. It has few
structural weaknesses, but oftentimes structure is its 9nly strength.
Mechanics--Sentence structures
are not varied and are often repetitive; unique word choices are not apparent.
Errors in Standard English are commonplace; however, the essay does not have
major sentence errors, such as comma splices, fragments, and run-ons.
POOR ESSAY--D
Content—The poor essay
lacks a clearly stated thesis. It fails
to display examples and details, but instead the paragraphs are filled with
repeated generalities. The essay fails
to address the specified audience, and oftentimes it does not even reflect the
assigned rhetorical mode.
Structure—The structure
presents a beginning, middle, and end, but lacks transitions. The body paragraphs show little unity, order,
or coherence.
Mechanics—Sentence structures are mostly simple
and most sentences restate the previous thought; simple word choices ("their"and"its") are incorrect and confused.
The most flagrant errors in Standard English are prevalent. Most seriously, a few comma splices,
fragments, and run-ons remain uncorrected.
FAILING ESSAY—F
Content—This essay
lacks a clearly stated thesis. It fails
to display examples and details, but instead the paragraphs are filled with repeated
generalities. The essay fails to address
the specified audience, and oftentimes it does not even reflect the assigned
rhetorical mode.
Structure—The structure
fails to present a beginning, middle, and end.
The body paragraphs do not show unity, order, or coherence.
Mechanics—Sentence structures are mostly simple
and most sentences restate the previous thought; simple word choices ("their"and"its") are incorrect and confused.
The most flagrant errors in Standard English are prevalent. Most seriously, many comma splices,
fragments, and run-ons remain uncorrected.
Failure to
eliminate comma splices, fragments, and run-ons from any essay should
constitute a failing grade for the assignment.
Each embedded writing
assignment will be evaluated based upon a variety of criteria that together
form the basis of the Humanities component of the General Education
curriculum. Please assign a number from
1 to 5 for each criterion. 1 =
Unacceptable, 2
= Poor, 3 = Average, 4 = Good, 5 = Very Good, N/A = Not applicable
Criteria:
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Student #
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Comprehension of the individual work
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Aesthetic and cultural appreciation
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Understanding of the work in its historical context
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Analysis of Form
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Totals
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