PELLISSIPPI STATE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE 
MASTER SYLLABUS

WORLD LITERATURE  I
 ENGL 2310

Class Hours: 3.0

 

Credit Hours: 3.0

 

Laboratory Hours: 0.0

 

Revised: Spring 09

 

 

 

 

 

Catalog Course Description:

 

 

 

Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance literature.

Entry Level Standards:

 

 

 

Students must be able to plan and write analytical essays and research papers about literature; students must demonstrate proficiency in standard English grammar, spelling, mechanics, and in source documentation; in addition, students should be familiar with basic literary terminology and genres.

Prerequisite:

 

 

 

 ENGL 1020

Textbook(s) and Other Course Materials:

 

 

PrimaryTextbooks: (The volumes listed below are both appropriate primary text choices.)

Davis Paul, et al., eds. The Bedford Anthology of World Literature: Beginnings—1650.  Vol.1.  Boston:  Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004. 3 vols.

Lawall, Sarah, et. al., eds.  The Norton Anthology of Western Literature.  Vol. 1. 8th ed. New York:    Norton, 2005. 2 vols.

Supplemental Works:
 Alighieri, Dante.  The Inferno.  Trans. John Ciardi.  New York: Signet, 1982.
 Marlowe, Christopher.  Dr. Faustus.  New York: Dover, 1994.

References:

Campbell, Joseph.  The Hero with a Thousand Faces. 3rd ed. Navato, CA: New World Library, 2008.

-----, and Bill Moyers.  The Power of Myth. New York: Anchor, 1991.

Hamilton, Edith.  Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. New York: Mentor, 1942.

Harmon, William, and C. Hugh Holman.  A Handbook to Literature. 8th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2000.

I. Week/Unit/Topic Basis:

 

 

 

Week 

Topic  (Because of the vast number of works covered by this course, the individual selections listed below are meant to serve as guides, thus allowing for substitutions of comparable works from these literary periods.)

Module 1:  Mythology/Ancient Literature 

 

1

Mythology (e.g. Hesiod’s Theogony, Campbell’s Adventure of the Hero, Fertility and  Creation myths)

 

2

Sumerian Literature, Gilgamesh

 

3

Old Testament selections

Module 2: Classical Literature

 

4

Greek Literature, Iliad 

 

5

Greek Literature, Odyssey

 

6

Roman Literature, Aeneid

 

7

Classical Drama (e.g. Aristotle’s Poetics, Oedipus Rex, Agamemnon, Lysistrata)

Module 3: Early Common Era and Medieval Literature

 

8

New Testament selections

 

9

Selections from various works:Beowulf, Canterbury Tales, Decameron, etc.

 

10

Dante

 

11

Medieval Drama (e.g. Second Shepherds’ Play, Everyman)

Module 4: Renaissance Literature

 

12

Cervantes

 

13

Selected Renaissance poets (e.g. Milton, Donne, Marvell, Petrarco, Poliziano)

 

14

Renaissance Drama (e.g. Shakespeare, Marlowe)

 

15

Final Exam Period

II. Course Objectives*:

 

 

 

A.

Respond thoughtfully to the expression of enduring human concerns.  IV.2

 

B.

Recognize the distinctive interpretations of experience offered by writers of Western Literature in Old Testament times, the Golden Age of Greece, the Medieval Period, and the Renaissance.  III.2, IV.2, IV.3

 

C.

Understand the techniques of imaginative literature and the critical approaches that clarify its nature and meaning.  III.2

 

D.

Strengthen the skills developed in English Composition through writing, revising, and correcting papers and exams.  I.3

*Roman numerals after course objectives reference TBR's general education goals.

III. Instructional Processes*: 

 

 

Students will:

 

 

 

 

1.

Work in teams to discuss and analyze literature.  Communications Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy

 

2.

Read assigned works of literature and participate in class discussion.  Communications Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy

 

3.

Use word processing software to write essays analyzing assigned fiction, poetry, and drama, evaluating both the aesthetic value of texts and the historical influences that affect them. Communication Outcome, Technological Literacy Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy

 

4.

Develop research skills using and evaluating library and internet sources.  Technological Literacy Outcome, Information Literacy Outcome,  Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy

 

5.

Develop oral presentation skills to present individual or group information. Communication Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy

 

6.

Attend various cultural, historical, or educational opportunities on or off campus.
Communication Outcome, Transitional Strategy

 

7.

Internalize the work ethic by regularly attending class, being punctual, being dependable, cooperating with the teacher and other classmates, contributing to class discussion and projects, and acting in a professional manner while in class. Communication Outcome, Transitional Strategy

*Strategies and outcomes listed after instructional processes reference TBR’s goals for strengthening general education knowledge and skills, connecting coursework to experiences beyond the classroom, and encouraging students to take active and responsible roles in the educational process.

IV. Expectations for Student Performance*: 

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

1.

Identify and understand common themes of biblical literature, such as creation, sin, rewards and punishments, the suffering servant, salvation.  A, B

2.

Trace these themes through Western Literature of the Medieval Period and the Renaissance.  A, B

3.

Identify the major beliefs and themes of ancient Greek Literature, as evidenced in such writers as Homer, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristotle, and Aristophanes.  A, B

4.

Distinguish between the beliefs of the Old Testament writers and those of the ancient Greeks and illustrate the differences by reference to works read.  A, B

5.

Define and give examples of the primary genres of ancient Greek literature, such as epic, tragedy, and comedy.  B, C

6.

Trace major themes and beliefs of the Greeks through Western Literature of the Medieval Period and the Renaissance.  A, B

7.

Describe and illustrate the major themes and beliefs of western writers of the Medieval Period, such as Dante and Chaucer.  A, B

8.

Discuss the influence of Dante on subsequent thought and writing in the western world.  A, B

9.

Define and illustrate genres common to the Medieval Period, such as fabliau, miracle play, mystery play, framed story, epic, and romance.  B, C

10.

Understand and discuss the primary themes and beliefs of the Renaissance, as illustrated in such writers as Cervantes, Donne, Milton, and Shakespeare.  A, B

11.

Discuss and illustrate differences in beliefs and themes of writers of the Medieval period and the Renaissance.  A, B

12.

Identify and discuss typical genres of the Renaissance, such as novel, sonnet, epic, comedy, and tragedy.  B, C

13.

Recognize major themes and character types of the Renaissance in subsequent Western literature.  B, C

14.

Show how Elizabethan drama builds upon and differs from ancient Greek drama.  B, C

15.

Understand the influence of Shakespeare on the subsequent development of the drama in Western literature.  C

16.

Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between life and literature by relating biographical information about major Western writers to the works by those authors.  A, B

17.

Write responses and analytical papers on appropriate topics relating to the works studied.  D

18.

Write insightful, appropriately developed, mechanically correct answers to essay test questions concerning the works studied.  D

*Letters after performance expectations reference the course objectives listed above.

V. Evaluation:

A. Testing Procedures:

60-80% of the final grade will be based on tests and quizzes.  Approximately 20-40% of the final grade will be based on projects, such as papers, journals, and creative imitations of major genres/works.

B. Laboratory Expectations:

 None

C. Field Work:

 None

D. Other Evaluation Methods:

 Students are expected to participate in class discussions of assigned readings.

VI. Policies:

A. Attendance Policy:

Attendance, promptness, and participation are essential to success in college courses.   The general attendance policy of the College states that students must be present for at least 75 percent of scheduled class meetings in order to receive credit for the course; thus, students who miss 25 percent of class meetings will fail the course.  Therefore, any student who must miss an excessive number of classes for any reason is advised to withdraw from the College under the "Mitigating Circumstances" provision as described in the PSTCC Catalog. 

B. Academic Dishonesty:

Any student found engaging in an act of academic dishonesty will be promptly dismissed from the course with a grade of F.  According to the PSTCC Catalog & Handbook,
    Prohibited activities include but are not limited to the following practices:
•    Cheating, including but not limited to unauthorized assistance from material, people, or devices when taking a test, quiz, or examination; writing papers or reports; solving problems; or completing academic assignments
•    Plagiarism, including but not limited to paraphrasing, summarizing, or directly quoting published or unpublished work of another person, including online or computerized services, without proper documentation of the original source
•    Purchasing or otherwise obtaining prewritten essays, research papers, or materials prepared by another person or agency that sells term papers or other academic materials to be presented as one’s own work
•    Taking an exam for another student
•    Providing others with information and/or answers regarding exams, quizzes, homework or other classroom assignments unless explicitly authorized by the instructor
•    Any of the above occurring within the Web or distance-learning environment.

C. Accommodations for disabilities:

Students who need accommodations because of a disability, have emergency medical information to share, or need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated should inform the instructor immediately, privately after class or in her or his office. Students must present a current accommodation plan from a staff member in Services for Students with Disabilities (SSWD) in order to receive accommodations in this course. Services for Students with Disabilities may be contacted by going to Goins 134 or 126 or by phone: 694-6751(Voice/TTY) or 539-7153. More information is available at www.pstcc.edu/departments/swd/