CLASS REQUIREMENTS
When I figure final grades, I will consider all of your class work: attendance, participation, Web discussion contributions, in-class writing assignments, longer writing assignments, midterm, and final. In determining final grades, each course requirement carries the following weight:

• Writing Project (20% of grade)
• Midterm Examination (15%)
• Final Examination (20%)
• Daily Writings/Quizzes/Group Projects (15%)
• Individual Presentation (10%)
• Class Attendance and Informed Class Participation (20%)

READING
The most important work in this course will be careful, patient, thorough reading of the assigned texts. You will need to finish the assigned readings by the date indicated on the reading schedule and—to receive credit for participation—must always bring the assigned text(s) to class. I encourage you to keep a reading journal or take reading notes on each text, and to mark passages we discuss in class.

WRITING
Formal writing (done outside of class) must use MLA format, be word-processed, free from mechanical errors, double-spaced, and printed in "best quality" using a standard 12-point font and 1-inch margins. You must keep a copy of any work you hand in, and retain graded work until the end of the semester. All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date, and must be turned in on time to receive full credit. Work should always be turned in directly to the professor. Papers left in the professor’s box, or dropped off by students who do not remain in class, will be considered late, and it is the student's responsibility to ensure that any work not directly submitted has actually reached the professor. Assignments may not be submitted via e-mail.Assignments may not be submitted via e-mail.

Short Writings and Quizzes
To help record attendance, to prepare for class discussions and to demonstrate how carefully you are reading the assigned works, you will often spend a few minutes each class period writing about the day's assignment, or may be asked to complete a short (one- or two-page) writing assignment outside of class. Each brief exercise (e.g., a paragraph of reaction to the day's reading or a quiz) will be graded on a five-point scale. To allow for the few occasions you might have to miss class, you may skip two writing exercises without penalty or, if you do them all, your two lowest scores will be dropped from your average for the semester. No make-up writings can be given.

Writing Projects
Specific instructions for the essay projects will be distributed in class and via the course Web site. Your essay project should be 5-7 pages in length, should be on one of the assigned texts for the class, and must be based on original ideas and research. Your essay is yours: find something to write about that you are interested in and want to know more about. Please consult with me early and often as you work on your assignment. I will be happy to read and comment on drafts as you go along. Ask your classmates for their help, too, as you work through your project. Also, you are welcome to consult the writing tutors at the Tutoring Center (40 CCtr). The essay is due on 12/07/09, but please keep in mind that you will need to bring a complete, polished and typed draft to class on 11/30/09 for an in-class peer editing workshop.

Examinations
The midterm and final examinations (open book) will consist of identification questions as well as essays of analysis and synthesis. You will be given a number of short identification questions, as well as several brief excerpts from the required readings on our syllabus. You will be asked to answer all of the identification questions and to explicate your choice of the excerpts. In explicating the passages, you will interpret them in depth and detail. Give your sense of what each excerpt means and why it is important. Point out specific themes, images, character traits, stylistic features, etc. that convey your sense of the meaning. Also, place each excerpt in the context of the work from which it is taken. How does it fit into your interpretation of the entire work? How does it function in the text as a whole? Please note that make-up exams cannot be given except in the case of a documented medical or family emergency. If some emergency occurs, you must contact me BEFORE the exam date.

Late Assignments
All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date, and must be turned in on time to receive full credit. Papers left in the professor's box, or dropped off by students who do not remain in class, will be considered late. Late papers will be accepted up to five days after the due date, but a letter grade will be taken off for every day they are late. I will not grant extensions on papers unless merited by prior arrangement between us and documented proof of your inability to complete the assignment on time due to truly exceptional circumstances (scheduled school activity, death in the immediate family, truly severe illness, etc.). If some emergency occurs, you must contact me BEFORE the class in which the paper is due. Last minute computer and printer problems do not count as an emergency. Please back up your work and plan accordingly.

Academic Integrity
Be extremely careful to acknowledge the sources that have influenced your work. Should you incorporate the ideas, general phrasing, or exact words of any other source without properly crediting the author(s), you are guilty of plagiarism. The penalty for plagiarism in this course is severe: you will fail the course and UMD’s Academic Integrity Officer will be notified of the reason for your failure.  See UMD’s Student Academic Integrity Policy for further information.

ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION
The class will procede largely via large- and small-group discussion, and participation in these will count as 20% of your final grade for the class. All students will be expected to participate in class discussions; your presence and active, informed participation are therefore essential to your success in the class and the success of the class itself as a shared scholarly endeavor. Please come to class prepared to engage with the texts, your colleagues, and me by reading the assigned works by the first date they are listed on the schedule and having questions and ideas to contribute to our discussion. Be sure to turn off all electronic devices, including cell phones, before class begins.

You are required to attend all class meetings. If you do not attend class, you will miss important discussions and announcements, and will probably fall behind in the class readings. More than two absences will affect your final grade in the course, and more than three absences may constitute grounds for failure. Students who arrive more than a few minutes late for class, or who do not remain for the full class period, will be considered absent. Also remember that late arrivals or early departures will cause you to miss announcements, quizzes and/or important class material—and will also detract from your attendance/participation grade for the class. If you do have to miss a class, or arrive late, it is your responsibility to obtain class materials, assignments and information from myself and/or class colleagues. Please keep me posted regarding unavoidable absences by a brief note, by message on my voice-mail (726-8640), or (preferably) by e-mail. Please click here for flu-season attendance information.

STUDENT CONDUCT
Students are expected to know and abide by UMD’s Student Academic Integrity Policy. Suspected violations will be reported to UMD’s Academic Integrity officer, and may constitute grounds for failing an assignment or the course. Any disruptive classroom behavior that substantially or repeatedly disrupts either the professor's ability to teach or student learning is prohibited. This includes inappropriate use of technology in the classroom (i.e. ringing cell phones, text-messaging or e-mailing, or surfing the internet). All electronic devices (phones, laptops, ipods, etc.) must be turned off during class, and food should not be consumed in class.

COURSE WEB SITE
Copies of the class syllabus, course handouts and several short readings will be available to download through Handouts Page of the ENGL 3333 Web site. The course Web site also provides information about a number of online resources to help you with research, writing, and revision. These include links to children’s literary history, culture and author sites, research and style guides, and online dictionaries and writing tools.

HOW TO LEARN FROM AND DO WELL IN THIS COURSE

• Read with energy, interest, and pleasure. Approach reading as an exchange of questions between yourself and the text. Mark up that book (forget about resale!).
• Come to class prepared to engage with your texts, your colleagues, and me—that is, read the assigned works by the first date they are listed on the schedule and be ready to discuss them.
• View your writing as a craft, a discipline, and a process. Begin writing assignments before you actually start writing the essay. Come into my office to discuss ideas, research, drafts, and rewrites. Also use your colleagues as readers and sources of feedback.
• If you ever have questions or concerns about readings, assignments, grades, or anything else connected with the course, please feel free to consult with me about them. I enjoy talking with students, and I don't want anxiety or uncertainty about grades to interfere with your enjoyment of the class. I am available in my office during the hours listed above; if the office hours are unfeasible for you, you are always welcome to e-mail me to arrange some other time.
• If you have any disability, either temporary or permanent, that might affect your performance in this course, please let me know as soon as possible so that I may adapt materials or testing to provide for equitable participation. The UMD Access Center (726-8217) can also provide further information and assistance.

CRITERIA FOR GRADES
A = excellent written work (essay, examinations): superb content and effective expression; perfect score on most daily writing exercises; informed, active participation in class discussions (no more than 2 absences); outstanding contributions.
B = superior written work—exceeds average, but room for improvement; 80-89% average on daily written exercises; informed, active participation in most class discussions (no more than 3 absences); significant contributions.
C = written work that meets average (i.e., high) standards for UMD students, but some problems with content and/or expression; 70-79% average on daily writing exercises; informed, active participation in class discussions (no more than 4 absences).
D = significant problems with any or all course components (writing projects, examinations, daily writing exercises, participation in class discussions).
F = performance that does not meet minimum standards for students at a major state university.
I = incompletes are given only in the following very limited circumstances: a student must contact the professor and specifically request an Incomplete; no more than one or two weeks of class, or one or two assignments can have been missed; a student must already be in good standing; s/he must have a documented family or medical emergency; s/he must arrange a schedule with the professor for making up the missed work that is acceptable for both professor and student.

Click here to view the Reading and Assignment Schedule