20801215British Literature 1 (Beowulf to the 1800's)
Course Information
Description
This course examines major authors, works, and periods of British literature from its foundations to the early eighteenth-century within the context of historical, cultural, and philosophical developments.
Total Credits
3
Course Competencies
  1. Apply appropriate strategies when reading literary works
    Assessment Strategies
    by completing all assigned literature by specified date
    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 annotates key passages while reading
    you formulate questions and opinions while reading
    you identify literary conventions
    you recognize complexity and ambiguity in literary texts
    you assess understanding and reread the text as necessary
    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 all writing assignments on time, and according to all criteria specified by the instructor for length, content, and format of written work
    Criteria
    you explain 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 brings historical information to bear on a text
    you brings 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 uses 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
    you use appropriate literary terminology
    you demonstrate your knowledge of cultural, historical, and sociological context of works of nineteenth-century British and American
    you express appreciation for literary aesthetics
    you apply a variety of critical approaches to texts
    you explore 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 explaining how these changes in literary aesthetics and theory are reflected in the works discussed in the course
    you identify 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