English 113 WL Spring, 2015 Professor Franklin 1

Pittsburg State University

Spring, 2015
Professor Franklin
ENGL 113.98 &.99 (WL): General Literature: ONLINE
Office: 445 Grubbs Hall; phone: 620-235-4693; e-mail: <jfranklin@pittstate.edu>
Office Hours: MW: 102; F: 10--noon
Anticipated Student Learning Outcomes, Course Goals & Objectives: This course is
designed to provide novice readers with college-level approaches to literature that enable
synthesis of critical thinking skills and disparate opinions reflected in responses to lower &
higher order discussion questions, quizzes designed to gauge reader engagement with the
assigned reading at the level of text and experience, and cumulative comprehensive exams. The
course employs both a generic and a thematic perspective while attempting to raise awareness of
and appreciation for diversity in literature.
Discussion Questions: Each literary selection has discussion questions, designed to guide you
through a reading toward an analysis and interpretation. I do not grade discussion questions;
however, you may use your answers on exams.
General Education Goals:
Aesthetic Studies
*Demonstrate the ability to make informed critical responses when exposed to artistic endeavors.
*Understand the relationship between the arts and society in a multicultural environment.
Cultural Studies
*Demonstrate the ability to recognize the value of diverse cultural, national, and ethnic
backgrounds.
*Demonstrate an awareness of the rights of individuals and groups from diverse cultural,
national, and ethnic backgrounds.
*Demonstrate an understanding of the relationships of gender, race, and class within and across
cultures.
Human Heritage
*Demonstrate an appreciation for the range and diversity of humankinds wisdom, values, ideas,
beliefs, and reasoning.
*Demonstrate an understanding of human behavior, the human condition, and human institutions
in the context of historical, literary, or philosophical inquiry.
*Demonstrate recognition of the inter-relatedness of the past, present, and future.
Grades: 3 Major Exams @ 100 points each=300;
exams are cumulative; there is no final exam for this course; 50% of each exam is a formal paper
submitted separately; essays will be submitted online via CANVAS; if you do not submit the
essay then you cannot pass the exam; you are free to use the book and your notes on an exam.
Modules: There are three modules: Fiction, Drama and Poetry each have their own module.
Philosophy of Writing: Writing enables us to discover, examine and reflect our intellectual and
emotional, personal and social, creative and disciplined response to literature and to our
classmates reaction to both that reading and our response. Writing permits us to learn from our
peers, ourselves and our guides in a focused and an organized way.

English 113 WL Spring, 2015 Professor Franklin 2

Statement of Intent: In order to implement our Philosophy of Writing, you will write:
*Discussion Question answers and notes, which are informal in nature and designed to share
your response to discussion questions based on reading selections; and,
*Out-of-class essays which are five to seven pages in length, formal explorations of literary
selections. These essays are typed according to MLA format and may be taken to The Writing
Center (located in Axe Library) or to me during office hours for help with revision before they
are due.
Academic Honesty: Because this is an English course, you will use MLA format for your
formal papers. If you are unsure about a source or a citation, then you may visit me during class
or office hours; you may also visit the Writing Center. USE OF SOURCES is a trait on the
grading rubric.
Discussing Writing, including feedback and response:
I have three steps in this process:
1. Writingincluding assignments and gradeswill be introduced via modules in the weeks
before an essay is due;
2. additionally, during your writing process I encourage you to communicate with me via
CANVAS;
3. finally, I will use CANVAS to respond to your submitted essays; this response will include a
grade deconstructed according to the assignments rubric as well as the comments feature of
CANVAS
Rights: As an adult student you have a right to privacy; your grades, for example, are a matter
between you and me. Additionally, you may have the right to special accommodation. If you
believe that you qualify for special accommodation then please inform meprivatelyso that
we may determine the best course of action to meet your needs while guaranteeing that your
rights have not been denied. Please see
(http://www.pittstate.edu/office/registrar/syllabus-supplement.dot)
to read University policy regarding matters such as academic honesty & integrity, deadlines,
severe weather, etc.
The textbook for this course is Literature: A Portable Anthology, 3rd edition. Edited by Janet
Gardner, et al.
Weekly schedule arranged according to Week number; Mondays calendar date; Module:
Week One: January 12: Fiction: 1. The Story of an Hour (p. 59);
2. A Rose for Emily (p. 204)
Week Two: January 19: Fiction: 3. Hills Like White Elephants (p. 212)
4. The Lottery (p. 242)
Week Three: January 26: Fiction: 5. The Lesson (p. 330)
6. Two Kinds (p. 382)
Week Four: February 2: Major Exam 1: Fiction
Week Five: February 9: Essay 1: Fiction
Week Six: February 16: Drama: POOF! (p. 1120)
Week Seven: February 23: Major Exam 2: Drama and Fiction
Week Eight: March 2: Essay 2: Drama
Week Nine: March 9: Midterm Grades due
Spring Break: March 16

English 113 WL Spring, 2015 Professor Franklin 3

Week Ten: March 23: Poetry:
1. When I consider how my light is spent (p. 462)
2. To My Dear and Loving Husband (p. 463)
3. A Poison Tree (p. 475)
Week Eleven: March 30: Poetry:
4. Ozymandias (p. 487)
5. Annabel Lee (p. 494)
6. The Lake Isle of Innisfree (p. 529)
Week Twelve: April 6: Poetry
7. Richard Cory (p. 533)
8. The Road Not Taken (p. 536)
9. Mother to Son (p. 559)
Week Thirteen: Poetry:
10. My Papas Waltz (565)
11. Ballad of Birmingham (p. 573)
12. Minor Miracle (p. 648)
Week Fourteen: April 20: Major Exam 3: Poetry, Drama and Fiction
Week Fifteen: April 27: Essay 3: Poetry
Week Sixteen: May 4: FINAL EXAM WEEK (no final exam in this class)