Assignments109H

[Home Page] [Course Descriptions & Schedule] [Study Basics]

English 109H: Assignments

First of all, two people each week [with exceptions noted on schedule] will be responsible for finding, examining, and reporting on 2 web sites (one per person, but different sites) relevant to that week. See Web Site Review assignment page. Criteria for evaluation and review of web sites will be posted under the Honors literature section of my web site. The review must be submitted to me via email by Tuesday afternoon; I plan to distribute them (after possibly some editing) to the entire class. Please note that the site for the MLA electronic style citations is linked on the web resources page. Web Assignment is 15% of grade.

Second, we will repeat, with some adjustments, the class-leadership assignment. You will again work with a partner (a different partner). You should NOT be doing the web site assignment AND this one the same week. Each partner must find a journal or book (a chapter in a book is plenty) source – NOT a web site – for the text you’re dealing with and, again, write a one-page summary/annotated bibliography entry for it. The major difference this term: your team should create a class-involvement activity for your topic/text. It could be as simple as a 5-minute in-class write or it can be a group discussion activity for 15-20 minutes. You should also come prepared with a list of 8-10 possible discussion topics/questions. The emphasis, then, is not on directly presenting your research to the class but rather in using what you learn to direct the class in a profitable direction in discussing the text. Have your class activity and your questions typed up to hand me at the beginning of the class, along with your annotated bibliography page [I’m going to be picky picky picky about MLA form this term!!]. Class leader assignment is 20% of grade.

Journals will continue to be due twice a week, with the WebBoard once a week, too. As before, extra entries will earn brownie points. You are excused from one journal the week you lead class and the week you do the Web assignment. Journals 15% and WebBoard 10% of grade. Final is 15%.

Papers. Two written assignments are dictated above: the web site review and the annotated bibliography entry. Add to that one paper, a bit longer than past terms, of 6-7 pages. I will leave the topic for this paper open, with the proviso that you must take the discussion in the paper further, deeper than any discussion of the text(s) we do in class. I want you to find something interesting to you and run with it. You can do research if you like (I’d not go beyond 3 or 4 sources), but it’s not required. Think of this as a kind of "capstone" paper: you’re showing me what you have gleaned about reading and interpreting literature over the past 2 or 3 terms by applying your skills to one text, or possibly several texts (you can even use texts from fall and winter if you like). Consider developing an idea from one or more of your journals, a WebBoard discussion, or class discussion; this does not exclude the idea that pops into your head at 3 a.m. – as long as it’s not 3 a.m. the morning the paper is due! For this paper, you must depend primarily on your classmates and the Writing Center for help with drafts; I’ve helped you for two terms now, and it’s time for weaning. That doesn’t mean you can’t talk to me about your paper; I’d be glad to help you focus, refine, or clarify an idea. I will require that a draft (signed by the reviewer) be submitted with the paper, in part to forestall the last-minute panic syndrome. Plan on having a draft done by the last full week of May, with the revision ready for me by the middle of dead week. Paper is 25% of grade.

Top of page

[Introduction] [Syllabus & Texts] [Assignments] [Discussion] [Resources] [Grading]