English 200 (001): The Literary Merits of Harry Potter (3.0 hrs)
Spring 2012
Dr. Leslie Bickford, Bancroft 275
bickfordl@winthrop.edu, Office Phone: (803) 323-4564
Office Hours:
MW 11:00-12:00,
T 12:30-2:30, & by appointment
Web:
http://faculty.winthrop.edu/bickfordl
Texts
J K
Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (1997)
---, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998)
---, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999)
---, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000)
---, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003)
---, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005)
---, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
(2007)
Outside
articles will be emailed to the listserv.
Course Goals
1. To heighten our appreciation of literature by
thinking critically.
2. To use writing, reading,
speaking, and critical thinking to foster
intellectual growth in an academic environment.
3. To recognize different schools of literary theory
through different types of criticism written about the same novels.
4. To evaluate arguments, evidence, and the contexts
in which they appear.
5. To demonstrate and deepen analytical skills through
writing about literature.
6. To plan, organize, and develop essays based on
introspection, general observation, deliberation, research, and the critical reading of academic
articles as well as the Potter novels.
7. To improve oral communications skills through class
discussions and group activities.
See a complete listing of course goals for the Department of English at
http://www.winthrop.edu/cas/english/default.aspx?id=20751
. Goals for teacher certification majors are listed at
http://www.winthrop.edu/english/goals.htm#englished.
Touchstone/ GNED Goals
This course fulfills the Humanities General Education requirement.
Specifically, it meets these goals:
Goal One: To communicate clearly and effectively in standard English.
Goal Three: To use critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and a
variety of research methods.
Goal Four: To recognize and appreciate human diversity (both past and
present) as well as the diversity of ideas, institutions, philosophies, moral
codes, and ethical principles.
Goal Six: To understand aesthetic values, the creative process, and the
interconnectedness of the literary, visual, and performing arts throughout the
history of civilization.
Goal Seven: To examine values, attitudes, beliefs, and habits which
define the nature and quality of life.
This course
participates in the Global Learning Initiative.
The global learning components of this course are the following:
1. Students will
develop an understanding of the differences inherent in American and British
literary traditions.
2. Students will
consider different cultural approaches to issues such as race, gender, class and
reading.
3. Students will
become familiar with and discuss various British idiomatic expressions and
grammatical constructions.
Learning Outcomes Related to the Humanities & Arts Perspective (HLOs)
1. Demonstrate knowledge of and appreciation for diverse intellectual
and/or cultural viewpoints.
2. Critically evaluate diverse intellectual and/or cultural viewpoints.
3. Critically evaluate aesthetic process and/or experience.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of creative process and aesthetic values.
5. Engage in the creative process through composition and/or
performance.
6. Demonstrate knowledge of the history of the arts.
7. Demonstrate understanding of the relationships among various art
forms within their sociohistorical contexts.
8. Demonstrate knowledge of and appreciation for diverse values and
beliefs.
9. Critically evaluate those values and beliefs.
10. Examine our own values and beliefs.
11. Critically evaluate material in a variety of formats (e.g.,
written, aural, visual, etc.).
12. Gather information and to develop and effectively communicate ideas
in Standard English.
13. Conduct independent research and/or analysis.
14. Discriminate among information sources (e.g., print sources, visual
media, internet sources, performances and exhibitions, interviews, etc.).
Course Requirements
Activity
% of Grade
2 Short Papers
15 % each (you may revise 1
of these)
Midterm Exam
15 %
House Presentation
10 %
Research Paper
25 %
Final Exam
20 %
Grading Policies
This class will use the plus/minus grading system. In this class, the
following numerical equivalents for grades are used:
94-100: A, 90-93: A-,
87-89:B+, 84-86: B,
80-83:B-, etc.
House Presentations and the House Cup
You will be sorted on the first day of class into a house, the name of
which you and your house members will decide.
You will work with House members on a House Presentation, to be given on
the day designated on our calendar (see the website for instructions on what it
should include). Because the first
group to give their presentation will only have 2 weeks to prepare and will
create their presentation without the benefit of seeing others present before
them, they will have 5 points added to their presentation grade.
You can also accrue House points towards securing the House Cup: 5
points per member per link sent to me to share during our 5 minute fan club at
the end of every class; 10 points for attending a Winthrop Quidditch practice or
match; 10 points for bringing in a dish or drink to share on the day of your
House Presentation. The winners of
the House Cup will have their names added to the illustrious list of those
winners from previous semesters and be immortalized on the plaque on the Cup
itself.
Syllabus Change Policy
The terms
of this syllabus will not change. If
the course calendar changes, it will be to the benefit of the students.
Plagiarism Policy
Please review the English Department’s
policy on Using Borrowed Information at
http://www.winthrop.edu/english/plagiarism.htm. You are responsible for reviewing the Code of
Student Conduct in your Student Handbook and the description of
plagiarism in The Prentice-Hall Reference Guide to Grammar and Usage and
handling source materials correctly. If you turn in plagiarized work, I reserve
the right to assign you a failing grade for the course. The University Policy on
Plagiarism is explained at
http://www.winthrop.edu/studentaffairs/Judicial/judcode.htm under section V,
“Academic Misconduct.”
Documentation
All work in this class that uses outside sources must be documented
correctly in the MLA documentation style.
Turnitin.com Policy
We will be using www.turnitin.com this semester. Papers not
submitted to www.turnitin.com will not be graded.
Our
turnitin ID is
Password
is alohomora
Attendance Policy
Students
are expected to attend class. An absence for any reason will count as a class
missed. Students who
arrive to class late must check with me at the end of the class. Four absences will lower the student’s
final grade by 5 %. Five absences will lower the student’s
final grade by 10 %. More than six absences will result in failure of
the course. ONLY those absences you’ve
contacted me about AHEAD OF TIME will warrant making up work (this does not mean
they are
“excused”; they will still count against you).
If you will be travelling with or for the University, please let me know
as soon as possible.
See the 2011-2012 Winthrop University Catalog for the Winthrop
attendance policy. Winthrop policy states that students who miss more than 25%
of the classes in a semester cannot receive credit for the course.
Late Paper/ Assignment Policies
Papers
not turned in at the beginning of class (either in hard copy or through
turnitin.com) will be docked one letter grade.
Papers not turned in within 24 hours of the due date (either in hardcopy
or through turnitin.com) will earn a zero. If you have trouble getting a paper into
turnitin.com, email it to me and/or bring a hardcopy to class that day to avoid
the late penalty.
Handheld Technology Policy
Please silence and put away all hand held devices upon entering the
classroom. If some family emergency or situation requires that you leave your
phone on, please let me know this before class.
Reuse of Graded Papers
Your papers may be randomly selected for university and departmental
assessment efforts. If yours is selected, all identifying information will be
removed before it is used in the assessment process.
Accommodations
If you have a disability and need classroom accommodations, please
contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS)
at 323-3290, as soon as possible. Once you have your professor notification letter, please notify me so
that I am aware of your accommodations well before the first accommodated
assignment is due.
Technology Requirements
I conduct most of my business with students using email. If you do not
have an email account, go to 15 Tillman immediately to set it up. All class
email will be sent to your campus email address, so make sure you set it to
forward to any off-campus account you use (e.g. Comporium, AOL, Yahoo, etc.) You
must have a working Winthrop email address by the third day of class. All
students must subscribe to the class listserve and check regularly for messages.