Mr. Cahill's CIS Literature
Links
To register for this class at the University of Minnesota, make sure you have the handout you received in class, and then follow this link to the Registration Form
Turnitin.com
Parent Portal
Notebook Topics
Other Important Documents
From the Syllabus:
Goals/objectives
By the completion of this course, students will be able to:
• Analyze literary texts to recognize subtext and layers of meaning
• Apply critical theory to textual readings
• Interrogate the relationship between literary texts and other representations of the world around us
• Articulate clearly the meaning they draw from literary texts in essay form
• Engage peers in productive and collaborative discussion of literature
To achieve these goals, students will:
• Read 7-8 novels, plays or books of poetry
• Respond to these texts in a reading journal (see handouts)
• Engage their classmates in discussion
• Produce a number of final, polished pieces of writing
• Reflect on their subconscious assumptions about literature, race, gender, and the nature of meaning
Your grade will be based on:
Reading Notebook (40%)
Your Reading Notebook will be the cornerstone of all the work you do in this class. Each week you are to add at least 3 entries, each at least 500 words. These should be word processed. I will give you prompts to answer, although each week you may include one entry that is a topic of your choice. These prompts will ask you to look beyond the surface level of the text, but will be more of an exploration of ideas than a polished piece. You should cite the text (using MLA citation style) to support the assertions you make, however. The prompts will be an ongoing project; rather than being graded all at once, I will collect them at random. You should have your notebook in class each day and it should be up-to-date; if it is your day to hand it in and it is not ready, then you will lose 10% of the points. You will continue to lose 10% each day that you are unable to hand in a current notebook. More detailed instructions on the Notebook will be forthcoming
Class Participation (30%)
One of the ways in which this class may differ from your prior experiences with literature is that we will approach reading and meaning-making as a collaborative, social activity. Whenever we read, we are not simply receiving information from an author, but collaborating with the author to make meaning. In addition, we draw on our experience as a member of a community (or communities) to make conclusions. In class, we will make obvious the social nature of reading by sharing our ideas together. Students who earn the most participation points will not simply be the ones who talk a lot, but whose comments are thoughtful, designed to encourage their classmates’ participation, and demonstrate that the sharing of ideas should be cooperative rather than competitive. Your Reading Notebooks will be invaluable resources during class time, so keep them handy. Furthermore, when we begin to discuss a book, your ability to participate will be influenced by your completion of the reading, and so we will begin each unit with a short quiz to check your reading.
Formal Writing/Group Project (30%)
During the semester you will take two of your notebook entries and turn them in to literary analysis essays; one of these will be handed in approximately halfway through, and should cover works from the first half of the class, while the other will be due at the end, and should cover the second half of the works. These essays will be approximately 750-1000 words. In addition, you will complete a small group project on a choice novel to conclude the class. More detailed information on these assignments will be forthcoming.
