Nathan P. Gilmour
Department of English, University of Georgia

 

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English 1102: Introduction to Composition
Special Topics: Hebrew Bible and/as Literature

Syllabus
Course Description

ENGL 1102: Introduction to Composition
Special Section: Hebrew Bible and/as Literature
TR 8:00-9:15 AM and 11:00-12:15

Nathan P. Gilmour, Teacher

Office: Park 12
Office Hours 9:45-10:45 TR

ngilmour@uga.edu
   

Expectations:  Students who complete ENGL 1102 ought to be able to plan, draft, and revise short pieces of prose exhibiting competence proper to a college-educated person.  For this semester, students ought also to write papers analyzing, interpreting, and in some cases evaluating pieces of written art.  Because this is a special section, the focus of those papers will be the literary character and literary appropriations of those texts in the Hebrew Bible.  Since this English class is part of UGA’s core liberal arts curriculum, students ought to exhibit to some extent the virtues proper to a free person.
Each student should attend all class meetings,  should read carefully all of the texts assigned for each class period, and should have on hand the appropriate texts.

Evaluation:  Grades for this course will be a composite of five written assignments and a portfolio compiled at the end of the semester.  The score on each assignment will award its percentage of these point totals to the final grade:
Paper 1                   5
Paper 2                   15
Paper 3                   20
Paper 4                   20
Portfolio                 30
In addition, up to ten points will come to each student for participation in WebCT discussions, participation in peer revision exercises, and other seemingly arbitrary but ultimately character-building practices.

Policies and Procedures

Absences: Because writing skills develop slowly over time, and because freedom is developed and not purchased, students’ regular attendance is essential in English Composition.  Consequently, on the fourth absence, no matter what the reason, students can expect to be dropped either with a W or a WF before the midpoint of the semester and with a WF after midpoint.

Writing Center (Park Hall 66) and the <emma> Computer Lab (Park Hall 117): All First-year Composition students are eligible for free tutorial services in the Writing Center and to use the <emma> Computer Lab during all open hours.

Academic Honesty: The policy regarding Academic Honesty in First-year Composition can be found in  First-year Composition at UGA. Further information about the “UGA Academic Honesty Policy” can be found at the web site of the Office of the Vice President for Instruction: <http://www.uga.edu/ovpi/>

Access Policy: Students with special needs are invited and encouraged to discuss them with the instructor.

Texts:
Harper Collins Study Bible
The St. Martin’s Handbook, 5th ed. (STM)
First Year Composition at UGA, 2005-2006.
Robert Pinsky, The Life of David
Archibald MacLeish, J.B.: A Play in Verse.
Online materials
 

Contact Information

If you need to reach me, an email to ngilmour@uga.edu will likely reach me quickest.  If you need to see me some time other than my office hours, do not hesitate to talk to me before or after class or email me and set up an appointment.  My office phone number is also posted on the UGA English Department web site.

   

Daily Schedule

Each day’s assignment points to the reading each student should do before class.  Bring each day to class two written questions to spur and stimulate discussion; dead discussions will call down the wrath of the grade book, and the teacher will make angry marks against those who have not written.

January 10 (Tuesday)
Intro to the class
Discussion: Liberal Arts and Conserving Texts

January 12 (Thursday)
Interviews
Discussion: Genres in the Bible
Intro to the Portfolio

January 17 (Tuesday)
Distribute Assignment 1: Joseph: Hero, Heavy, Historical Artifact
Read Genesis 36-50

January 19 (Thursday)
Read “A Literary Approach to the Bible” (online course reserve)
Upload an initial draft of your biography and an image to emma

January 24 (Tuesday) 
EMMA orientation overflow day

January 26 (Thursday) 
Distribute Assignment 2: Speaker and Audience
Upload a draft of paper 1 to <emma> 24 hours before class
Peer revision day: Bring group members’ papers and your SMH

January 31 (Tuesday)  Paper 1 Due
Read Psalms and Donne poems on WebCT

February 2 (Thursday)
Read Psalms and Herbert poems on WebCT

February 7 (Tuesday)
Read Psalms and Milton poems on WebCT
Upload a draft of paper 2 to emma 24 hours before your peer revision day

February 9-16
No regular class meeting: Meet with small groups as scheduled
Distribute Assignment 3: Scholarship and Storytelling

As a preparation for our unit on David, I recommend but do not require that you read the book of Ruth and the first 15 chapters of 1 Samuel.  Throughout the David unit I suggest but do not require that you read the chapters between the assigned chapters; class discussion will focus on the assigned parts but will edify more the students who do the extra reading.

February 21 (Tuesday)  Paper 2 Due by midnight
Library Orientation: Meet in SLC 368
Read Pinsky ch. 1-3 and 1 Samuel 16-19

February 23 (Thursday)
Read Pinsky ch. 4-5 and 1 Samuel 28, 31; 2 Samuel 1-3

February 28 (Tuesday)
Read Pinsky ch. 6-7 and 2 Samuel 6, 9, 11-12

March 2 (Thursday)
Read Pinsky ch. 8-9 and 2 Samuel 13-16, 18-19

March 7 (Tuesday)  Midpoint Withdrawal Deadline
Read Pinsky ch. 10-12 and 2 Samuel 24-1 Kings 2

 

 

March 9 (Thursday)
Find and read at least one review of Pinsky’s The Life of David and write down at least the critic’s name, the publication or web site, and two observations about what the critic thinks.

March 21 (Tuesday)
Peer Revision Day: Bring annotated EMMA excerpts and SMH
Distribute Assignment 4: Appropriations Good and Bad

March 23 (Thursday) Paper 3 Due
Read J.B. 10-45 and Job 1-10

March 28 (Tuesday)
Read J.B. 46-90 and Job 11-21

March 30 (Thursday)
Read J.B. 91-115 and Job 22-31

April 4 (Tuesday)
Finish J.B. and Job

April 6 (Thursday)
Peer revision day (bring STM and annotated emma revisions)

April 11 (Tuesday) Paper 4 Due
Wrap-up discussion and portfolio instruction

April 13 (Thursday)
See WebCT for reading assignment

April 18 (Tuesday)
Portfolio instruction: Process and Peer Revision Components
Upload a revised copy of one portfolio paper 24 hours before class and comment on group members’ papers before coming to class

April 20 (Thursday)
Portfolio instruction continued
Upload a copy of your reflective essay 24 hours before class and comment on group members’ essays before coming to class

April 25 (Tuesday)
Portfolios due at 6 PM (no class meeting)

April 27 (Thursday)
TBA

Potentially Helpful Links (access on WebCT for live hyperlinks)

UGA English Department http://www.english.uga.edu
St. Martin's Handbook  http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/smhandbook/
Purdue's Online Writing Lab (OWL) http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
Emma Software and Portal  http://www.emma.uga.edu
WebCT, UGAMail, and Other Goodies  http://my.uga.edu
E-Sword—free downloadable Bible software
   http://www.e-sword.net/

   

Course Description

ENGL 1102 Special Topics: Hebrew Bible and/as Literature
Instructor of Record                                                   Spring 2006 and 2007
All majors                                                                  74 students in 4 sections (over 2 semesters)
Classroom and WebCT instruction                             University of Georgia

Formally, this course is the same as UGA’s standard introduction to composition class.  I was the lead teacher in a course that required four papers and a final portfolio for a grade that reflected the student’s ability to write college-level academic prose.   However, instead of the standard writing-about-literature reader, our class involved a unit on Joseph, one on the Psalms, one on David, and one on Job.  Alongside the biblical texts (in English translation) we read some Donne, Herbert, and Milton poems; a literary biography of David by former poet laureate David Pinsky; and J.B., a play based on the book of Job.

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