ENG
247: Appalachian
Literature Fall
2008 SectionHA:
MW 2:30 – 3:45 MOS 400 ProfessorDr. Kelli Lyon Johnson 217 Rentschler Hall; 785-3036 kjohnson@muohio.edu
Office Hours M
– R: 1:00
– 2:30 p.m.
Course Web Sitewww.users.muohio.edu/johnso58 Required Texts
Harriet Arnow, The Dollmaker Silas House, Clay's
Quilt Barbara Kingsolver, The
Bean Trees Lee Smith, Saving Grace James Still, River of Earth Texts on Electronic
Reserve (see Schedule)
Bo Ball, “The Quilt” Sandra L. Ballard,
"Where Did Hillbillies Come From? Tracing Sources of the Comic Hillbilly Fool in Literature" Frances Courtenay Baylor,
excerpt from Behind the Blue Ridge Rebecca
Harding Davis, Life in the
Iron Mills Lucy Furman,
excerpt from The Quare
Women: A Story of the Kentucky Mountains Eliza Calvert
Hall, excerpt from Aunt
Jane of Kentucky Laurel Horton, “In Search
of the Appalachian Quilt” Emma Belle Miles, excerpt
from The Spirit of the Mountains Mary Noailles Murfree,
excerpt from In the Tennessee Mountains Breece D'J Pancake, “Trilobites” Anne Shelby, "The 'R'
Word: What's So Funny (and Not So Funny) about Redneck Jokes" Crystal E. Wilkinson,
"On Being Country: One Affrilachian Woman's Return Home" selected poems by Wendell
Berry, James Agee, Fred Chappell, Jesse Stuart, James Still, Nikki Giovanni, Frank X. Walker, Nikky
Finney, Crystal Wilkinson, Irene McKinney, Effie Waller Smith, James B.
Goode, Jo
Carson, R. T. Smith, and others. Course Description Survey of published Appalachian
fiction, poetry, drama, and non-fiction from the mid-nineteenth century
to the
present. Addresses migration experiences, identity, landscape, and
regionalism.
Emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of literature,
drawing on
history, sociology, ecology, and current trends in American literary
studies. As part of the Miami Plan,
this course requires that students continue to develop their abilities
to think critically, understand contexts,
engage with other learners, and reflect and act. In every written
assignment and in their class participation, they will be expected to
demonstrate their ability to think
critically about the texts we read for class and the historical and
cultural conditions in which those texts were created. The literature of Appalachia has responded to particular
historical events;
thinking critically in ENG 247, then, also requires that students understand contexts. In-class
discussions, writing assignments, and, in particular, the Group Project
will
provide the opportunity to expand the class's understanding of contexts
beyond course
readings. Students' work in groups
will strengthen their abilities to engage
with other learners as we conduct small-group discussion in class
and as
they create a project and give a presentation on a topic relevant to
Appalachian Studies. Finally, ENG 247 requires
students both to reflect and act.
Their written assignments, group work, and class participation will
require
them to demonstrate reflection on
course materials, and they frequently have the opportunity to make
connections
among course materials and their own experiences and knowledges. The
Cultural
Analysis assignment, in particular, draws together reflection and
action in a
creative project. Course Grading Analytical Essays (2 @
15%)30% Short Writings15% Participation10% Cultural Analysis Project15% Group Project10% Final Exam20% Grading Scale A+98-100A94-97A-90-93 B+88-89B 84-87B-80-83 C+78-79C74-77C-70-73 D+68-69D64-67D-60-63 F 59 and below Course Requirements Class Participation. You will be graded on your active and
positive
participation. You may choose to participate by completing homework,
engaging
in group work, and volunteering during class discussion. You should bring the
assigned readings to every
class meeting. Participation in these
areas will be graded on the following criteria: A = Regular active participation demonstrating
superior understanding and analysis of
assigned material; willingness to engage
theories, perspectives, and group members B = Frequent participation that demonstrates
accurate and thoughtful familiarity with the material; participation in
group
interaction C = Contributions are infrequent and/or
demonstrate little familiarity with the material; or
contributions are not relevant to material
being discussed D = In attendance but does not participate in
discussion 0 =Not in attendance or sleeping in class Group Work. At the beginning of the semester, I
will assign students to a group
with which they will work all semester. Groups will collaborate for
in-class
assignments, small-group discussions, and a Group Project. Your
participation
in group work will be calculated into your participation grade, with
the exception
of the Group Project. Grades are earned by individuals and will not be
assigned
to the entire group. Papers.
Students will write several analytical essays in this course. Students
will
receive in class both written explanation and detailed descriptions of
the
assignments. All papers must conform to stated guidelines. Papers
may not be submitted electronically because technology is not
always reliable. Late papers will be penalized 10% each calendar day
until the
paper is turned in. Appalachian Heritage
Month. Students are
required to attend at least two events
during Appalachian Heritage Month at Miami University Hamilton. If you
work in
the evenings or need child care, you should make arrangements early so
that you
are able to attend two of these events. Your attendance at these events
is mandatory
and takes the place of two class meetings. I will announce the details
in
class. Short Writings. Throughout the semester, students will
write fourteen short papers,
based on readings or lectures, to be word-processed
in advance and brought to class. Short writings are formal papers
and
should be revised and formatted
according to paper guidelines. Short
writing prompts are available on the course web site (see front of
syllabus).
The short assignments will be collected at the end of each class. The best ten scores on the
fourteen assignments will count in the calculation of the final grade. No late papers will be accepted. Electronic
submissions will not be accepted. Short writing assignments
offer students the opportunity to focus their ideas and comments before
coming
to class. They provide a means for me to assess how students meet the
objectives of the course, which are important to succeeding in college
and
career: comprehension, analysis, synthesis, critical thinking,
engagement. These assignments take the
place of a system of reading quizzes and exams. You will not be taking
quizzes
when you complete your education, but you will be writing nearly every
day, so
I believe that the skills you develop in these short writing
assignments—summary, synthesis, analysis, evaluation—will serve you in
your
post-graduate endeavors. Because these assignments replace quizzes and
exams, students must be in attendance for the
entire class period in order to turn in a short writing. Evaluation of short
writing assignments will be based on the following guidelines (the
criteria
each week may be tailored slightly to the specifics of the individual
assignment): 10 =Demonstrates
superior familiarity with the material as well as analytical and critical
thinking; points are clearly articulated and
easy to follow 8 =Demonstrates basic familiarity with the material; points are
raised but notdeveloped
or supported; or provides a solid summary of material but little
analysis or
reflection 6 =Demonstrates only passing familiarity with material; analysis
is absent or simplistic; points are poorly articulated or hard to
follow; or provides only crude summary of material 5 =Turns in assignment, but demonstrates no significant
familiarity with material or analysis of material 0 =Does not complete assignment Final Exam.
There will be a final examination at the assigned time of the Final
Exam during
Finals Week. Extra Credit. Students may earn extra credit in this
course (up to fifteen points
total) by attending an optional event (announced periodically in class)
and
write a 300-word reflection connecting that event to something we have
discussed in class. Each extra credit paper is worth a maximum of five
points,
which will be added to a paper grade. Student Responsibilities Paper Guidelines. All papers will be word processed and
double-spaced in 12-point Times
New Roman with standard 1”- or 1 ¼”-inch margins. Students may
use either Word
or WordPerfect, but papers may not be completed on Word Pad. Please do
not use
Courier or other large font to make your paper appear longer than it
is. Please
do not alter the margins of your paper to make your paper appears
longer than
it is. Students are expected to use MLA citation style. Attendance. Attendance will be taken at each class
meeting. Regular attendance is
expected and required. The University’s attendance policy requires that
you
attend every class. Beyond this policy, in ENG 247 HA, the following
penalties
apply to the final grade:
Absence(s)
Deduction from final course grade
One (1)
0%
Two (2)
0%
Three
(3)
0%
Four (4)
10%
Five
(5)
20%
Six (6)
or more
40%
(failure)
Individual exceptions may
be negotiated on a case-by-case basis under extraordinary circumstances.
Tardiness. You are expected to arrive before the
appointed
class hour so that we may begin class on time. Because students who
arrive late
disrupt student learning, tardiness will be penalized. Because we all
sometimes
encounter unexpected delays--traffic, phone calls, late
babysitters--everyone
will be allowed one late arrival. After that initial late arrival, I
will count
two late arrivals as an absence. Students who are late more than four
times
will fail the course. Technology. Please turn cell phones, Blackberries,
PDAs, and pagers OFF (not to
vibrate) when you enter the classroom. Because checking phones for
messages
disrupts your learning and the learning of students around you,
students using
cell phones or checking messages—voice or text—during class will be
asked to
leave and marked absent for the day. Missed work cannot be made up. Information for
Students with
Disabilities.Any student who
feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a
disability should
contact me privately to discuss your specific needs. Please contact the
Office
for Disability Services at 513-785-3211 in room 120 Rentschler Hall to
coordinate
reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Academic Integrity. I expect my students to have respect
for their
own work and for the work of others. Academic honesty is expected and
required.
All cases of plagiarism will be referred for trial to the Department of
English. MiamiUniversity’s
policy on academic honesty
can be found in the Student Handbook. Students found guilty of
plagiarism also
risk a notation of Academic Dishonesty
on their permanent transcript. Student Expectations Students may
expect me to hold appointed office hours; to make appointments to
meet
with students outside of class if they cannot attend office hours; to
provide
detailed assignments and feedback on completed assignments; to return
student
work within seven calendar days of the assigned due date; to encourage
student
participation in all aspects of their education; to advise students on
study
habits, time management, and writing practices; and to respect and
encourage
all positive student contributions to the course. By
remaining in this course, you are
agreeing to the terms of this syllabus.