20801204Introduction to Literature
Course Information
Description
Recommended as a first course in literary analysis, this course introduces students to the major genres of literature and addresses issues related to writing about literature and/or other texts. Individual sections may focus on a particular literary theme or emphasis.
Total Credits
3
Course Competencies
  1. Apply appropriate strategies when reading literary works
    Assessment Strategies
    by completing the assigned reading and participates in class discussions at the scheduled times
    by participating in small and large group discussions
    by meeting instructor's criteria on quizzes, tests and other written assignments
    Criteria
    you identify the purpose of reading a literary text: enjoyment, appreciation, and the development of an interpretation
    you recognize explicit and implicit meanings within a literary text
    you formulate questions and opinions while reading
    you identify literary conventions
    you recognize complexity and ambiguity in literary texts
    you synthesize opinions, questions, and responses to the text to develop an interpretation

  2. Analyze Literature
    Assessment Strategies
    by completing the assigned reading and participates in class discussions at the scheduled times
    by completing the assigned reading and participates in class discussions at the scheduled times
    by completing all writing assignments on time, and according to all criteria specified by the instructor for length, content, and format of written work
    Criteria
    you examine the defining features of each of the major genres covered in the course (drama, novel, short story, poetry, and autobiography)
    you explain the major generic elements present in an individual text
    you explain the historical, cultural, sociological and literary context of a literary work
    you use literary terminology to describe and discuss a literary work
    you recognize literary canons and their limitations
    you apply the skills listed above to a new text, without assistance from the instructor

  3. Interpret Literature
    Assessment Strategies
    by completing assigned reading and participates in small and large group discussions, as scheduled
    by completing all assigned written work and complies with instructor's criteria for length, content, and format
    by moving beyond a discussion of explicit meaning to a detailed description of the complexity and ambiguity implicit in literary texts
    by using a critical approach to construct and support an interpretation of a literary text
    by applying the performance criteria listed above to a new text, without assistance from the instructor
    Criteria
    you explain the explicit message or content of a literary text
    you explain how a given text is an example of a given literary genre and how the text reflects the formal conventions of the genre
    you bring historical information to bear on a text
    you bring knowledge of literary history and canons to bear on the text
    you explain the assumptions, ambiguities and hidden agendas that inform the explicit message
    you explain how a literary text engages social issues
    you explain several critical approaches that are used to analyze and interpret literature (examples: feminism, deconstruction, post-colonialism)
    you use a critical approach, such as deconstruction or formalism, to interpret a literary text

  4. Write about Literature
    Assessment Strategies
    by completing all assigned reading
    by completing the specified writing assignments (examples: analytic essays, reading journals, essay exams, response to critical essays, class notes) by the assigned date
    by meeting all requirements specified by the instructor for length, format, and content of written work
    Criteria
    written work uses appropriate literary terminology
    written work includes the cultural, historical, and sociological context of literary works
    written work includes an expression of appreciation for literary aesthetics
    written work includes an application of a variety of critical approaches to texts
    written work includes an exploration of the complexity and ambiguity of literary texts

  5. Evaluate Literature
    Assessment Strategies
    by completing all assigned reading and participates in class discussion and activities, as scheduled
    by completing all writing assignments on time and according to the criteria established by the instructor for length, content, and format
    by meeting instructor's criteria on quizzes and tests
    Criteria
    you explain the relationship between literature and life (by answering the question "Why study literature")
    you explain an awareness of a personal aesthetic response to the literary texts covered in the course
    you identify major similarities and contrasts among the body of literary works covered in the course
    you explain how historical, sociological and cultural developments within the historical period are reflected in the body of works covered in the course
    you identify major literary movements within nineteenth-century British and American literature; explaining how these changes in literary aesthetics and theory are reflected in the works discussed in the course
    you explain literary canons and their limitations
    you apply all of the criteria listed above to the evaluation of a new text, without assistance from the instructor
    you prepare written work that evaluates literary works according to the criteria listed above