COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course will examine the cultural roots of Western civilization, by considering cultural movements and individual artifacts both specifically and generally, locally as well as globally. Architecture, art, drama, literature, music, philosophy and religion will be analyzed in a historical context.
REQUIRED TEXTS
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
* Oral reports, group and individual, based on class readings and on the end-of-term research project (see below), respectively.
* Midterm and Final Examinations, comprehensive, essay in format, open book.
* Annotated Bibliography of at least three secondary sources (one must be hard copy) to be used in the Term Paper (see below and see: http://web.njit.edu/~kimmelma/samplebibliographyentry.html).
* Term Paper Announcement (including title, thesis statement, one-paragraph description of writing strategy, and bibliography of three or more secondary sources).
* Term Paper Prospectus (including title, thesis statement, one-paragraph summary, one-paragraph description of writing strategy, five hundred-word précis ([i.e., sample essay], and bibliography of three or more secondary sources).
* Term Paper (two drafts) of two thousand words
(each), which
will be analytical in nature (this paper must draw upon, and therefore
will cite within the essay proper, at least three secondary sources—for
purposes of this assignment, encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other
textbooks
or reference books can be used as sources but will not be considered as
legitimate secondary sources). The term research paper topic must
be approved ahead of time by the instructor prior to submitting the
Annotated
Bibliography. The Term Paper must be preceded by, in order, the
Annotated
Bibliography, Term Paper Announcement, and Term Paper Prospectus, in
order to receive credit for each assignment.
(See
http://web.njit.edu/~kimmelma/writing.html.)
* Regular attendance and participation in class discussion is expected. More than three unexcused absences constitute grounds for course failure; three unexcused latenesses constitute an unexcused absence.
COURSE SCHEDULE
(All assignments listed here must have been prepared
prior
to class meetings on due dates.)
9/6: B&D Introduction & Starter Kit, Ch. 1, pp. xviii-xxix, 2-23.
9/8:
B&D
Ch. 2, pp. 24-53.
9/13:
B&D
Ch. 3, pp. 54-77, 79-86, 90.
9/15:
Homer,
The Odyssey, Books 1, 8, 10 and 11.
9/20:
B&D
Ch. 4, pp. 92-121, 144-51. Annotated Bibliography due.
9/22:
Sophocles,
Oedipus the King.
9/27:
B&D
Ch. 5, pp. 152-90 (this includes part of Book 1 and Book 2 of the Aeneid, to which must be added
Books 4 and 6, available at http://classics.mit.edu/Virgil/aeneid.html),
191-94 (Ovid and Marcus Aurelius only), 198-201.
9/29:
B&D
Ch. 5, pp.152-90
(this includes part of Book 1 and Book 2 of the Aeneid, to which must be added
Books 4 and 6, available at http://classics.mit.edu/Virgil/aeneid.html),
191-94 (Ovid and Marcus Aurelius only), 198-201 .
10/6:
B&D
Ch. 6, pp. 203-31, 232-34 (optional), 234-44, 246-52.
10/11: B&D
Ch. 7, pp. 254-74. Term Paper Announcement due.
10/18: Midterm
Examination.
10/20: B&D
Ch. 8, pp. 276-301.
10/25: B&D
Ch. 9, pp. 306-31, 333-35.
10/27: B&D Ch. 10,
pp. 336-57, 359-65 (omit Pablo Neruda).
11/1:
B&D
Ch. 11,
pp. 366-93.
11/3:
B&D
Ch. 12,
pp. 394-425, 437-39. Term Paper Prospectus due.
11/8:
Dante, The Comedy, Inf. Cantos 1, 3, 5, 12, 28
33, 34; Purg.
Canto 30; Par. Canto 33. (Inf. 1, 3, 5, 12, 28
in B&D, pp. 427-36;
the rest of the cantos at:
http://www.bartleby.com/20).
11/10: Chaucer, The
Canterbury Tales: General Prologue,
Knight’s Tale,
Miller’s Tale.
11/15: B&D Ch. 13,
pp. 454-99, 503-06.
11/17: B&D Ch. 13,
pp. 454-99, 503-06.
11/22: B&D Ch. 14, pp. 58-95
(part II of the textbook).
11/29: Shakespeare, Hamlet.
Term Paper Draft 1 due.
12/1:
Shakespeare,
Hamlet.
12/6:
Oral
reports on
research projects.
12/8:
Oral
reports on
research projects.
Final: Final
Examination. Second draft of Term Paper due.
COURSE GRADE
Class
Participation
-
5%
Oral
Reports
- (10% each) 20%
Annotated
Bibliography
-
5%
Term Paper Announcement
-
5%
Term Paper
Prospectus
-
5%
Term Paper, Draft 1
-
10%
Term Paper, Draft 2
-
15%
Midterm
Examination
-
10%
Final
Examination
-
25%
ABBREVIATIONS FOR MARKING PAPERS
Key: Abbreviation - Meaning
A - Article
Agr - Agreement
CS - Comma Splice
Dic - Diction
Exp - Explain
FS - Fused Sentences
RO - Run On Sentence
SF - Sentence Fragment
Sp - Spelling
SS - Sentence Structure
Syn - Syntax or Word Order
Tr - Transition
Un - Unclear
Uncl - Unclear
Us - Usage
V - Verb
Va - Vague
VF - Verb Form
VT - Verb Tense
WW - Wrong Word
COURSE PORTFOLIO
At the end of the term an organized and otherwise neatly arranged portfolio must be submitted, consisting of ALL your work, including all drafts of essays as well as materials used in preparing for and delivering oral reports.
1. Punch holes in your papers to coincide with the holes in, and bind the papers within a three-ring binder. The papers must be bound on the side.
2. Make sure your name, class including section number and date are shown on or immediately inside the binder.
3. All papers should be arranged with the latest revised version of a paper on top of earlier versions, followed by the previous version, and so on (i.e., in “descending” chronological order), as a working principle of organization. The Portfolio should be arranged in sections (in “ascending” chronological order), with the first section comprised of the first paper assignment, the second section the second paper assignment, and so on. However, place the Term Paper Announcement draft(s) just prior to the Term Paper Précis, which should come just prior to the first iteration of your Term Paper including all its drafts if there is more than one draft, followed by the final version of your term paper, each of these listed distinctly on the Table of Contents page. Following these, place the evidence of your oral reports, and, finally, your midterm exam. Again, all of the above is to be indicated on the Table of Contents page.
4. At the front of the portfolio place a Table of Contents that lists each assignment, the draft number of the paper (i.e., was it your first draft or attempt that received a grade, your third, or what?), and the grade (if any) it received.
5. Indicate which papers need still to be graded, on the Table of
Contents
page and by placing a post-it sticker on the first page of each paper
that
needs grading, as a sort of a tab.