English 200 (001): The Literary Merits of Harry Potter
Fall 2016 (3.0 hrs) Meets Arts &
Humanities Requirement
Dr. Leslie Bickford, Bancroft 234
bickfordl@winthrop.edu, Office Phone: (803) 323-4564
Office Hours:
MW 11:00-12:00 & 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)
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.
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
(SLOs)
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.).
University Level Competencies. This course meets the following University Level
Competencies:
Competency 1: Winthrop graduates think critically and solve problems.
Winthrop University graduates reason logically, evaluate and use
evidence, and solve problems. They
seek out and assess relevant information from multiple viewpoints to form
well-reasoned conclusions. Winthrop
graduates consider the full context and consequences of their decisions and
continually reexamine their own critical thinking process, including the
strengths and weaknesses of their arguments.
Competency 2: Winthrop graduates are personally and socially responsible.
Winthrop University graduates value integrity, perceive moral dimensions,
and achieve excellence. They take
seriously the perspectives of others, practice ethical reasoning, and reflect on
experiences. Winthrop graduates
have a sense of responsibility to the broader community and contribute to the
greater good.
Competency 3: Winthrop graduates understand the interconnected nature of the
world in which they live. Winthrop
University graduates comprehend the historical, social, and global contexts of
their disciplines and their lives.
They also recognize how their chosen area of study is inextricably linked to
other fields. Winthrop graduates
collaborate with members of diverse academic, professional, and cultural
communities as informed and engaged citizens.
Competency 4: Winthrop graduates
communicate effectively. Winthrop
University graduates communicate in a manner appropriate to the subject,
occasion, and audience. They create
texts—including
but not limited to written, oral, and visual presentations—that
convey content effectively. Mindful
of their voice and the impact of their communication, Winthrop graduates
successfully express and exchange ideas.
Course Requirements
Activity
%
of Grade
2 Short Papers
10 % each (you may revise
1 of these)
Midterm Exam
15 %
House Presentation
10 %
Research Paper
20 %
Research Report
15%
Final Exam
20 %
Note on the 2 Short Papers
On your calendar, you will see due dates for Paper Options 1-5; you will need to
choose two of these papers to complete during the course of the semester.
Because I have to report midterm grades on October 9th, and because we’d
both like to be sure you’re
doing well in the class by then,
everyone in the class
MUST complete at least one of the first two paper options.
Note on the Research Report
The honors component of this class includes semester-long research into one of
five “entry points” into the Harry Potter story: Pottermore and Rowling’s spin
off books; the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal & other “real life”
experiences like tours in London; HP Legos, Xbox, and other toys; fan fiction &
other fiction spin offs like Puppet Pals and
A Very Potter Musical; cosplay
(especially at gatherings like Dragon Con, which has hosted HP panels in the
past) and Quidditch teams around the world.
You will be paired with a research partner, divvy up the research, and
produce a product (podcast, Prezi, etc.: more on this in the assignment) to
present to me on a date of our choosing (outside of class).
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 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;
possible points for winning a House Presentation game are out there—we
can discuss this as a class. 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.
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. We
will attempt, as a class, to implement the new (as of this fall) MLA
documentation style; as most of you will be working from a book with the old
style, I will make links to the new style available on the ENGL 200 website and
will be lenient in grading. The
most important thing to me is that you give proper credit where credit is due,
even if you occasionally get a comma out of place.
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 13305812
Password is
ENGL200HF16
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 2014-2015 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.
Student code of conduct:
As noted in the Student Conduct Code:
“Responsibility
for good conduct rests with students as adult individuals.”
The policy on student academic misconduct is outlined in the
“Student
Conduct Code Academic Misconduct Policy”
in the online Student Handbook. More explicit policies relative to a specific
discipline/department may also be posted in a syllabus.
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.
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.
ONCA Statement
The Office of Nationally Competitive Awards is here to help you find and apply
for scholarships, fellowships, and awards for everything from study abroad to
graduate school tuition. Please
check out the ONCA website at
www.winthrop.edu/onca and fill out a Student Information From, then
email Dr. Bickford at
onca@winthrop.edu to make an appointment.
The right nationally competitive award is out there for YOU!