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 (15%)
• Individual Presentation (10%)
• Class Attendance and Informed Participation, Group Projects (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 time indicated on the reading schedules and--to receive credit for participation--must always bring the assigned text(s) to class. To do well on the exams, I encourage you to 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. Papers left in the professor’s box, or dropped off by students who do not remain in class, will be considered late.

Writing Project
Your semester writing project should 7-10 pages in length, and must be based on original ideas and research. Your project 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 writing project is due on 12/15/05, though please note that a complete, typed draft must be brought to class on 12/01/05 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.

Some exam advice:

• Don't bother with long, general introductions to your examination essays; get directly to your points.
• Don't just paraphrase the passages or summarize the stories—analyze and interpret the material carefully. Go beyond the obvious to make explicit what is implicit in it. Explore the complexities of the excerpt and as many of the significant details as you can in the time available. The best-developed essays will receive the highest grades.
• Support your interpretations with well-selected evidence. You need not copy out long quotations, but you should refer to specific incidents, descriptions, images, details, etc. to back up your reading of the works. While there is no single objectively "correct" interpretation of any work, you are expected to make a convincing case for your own interpretation by presenting strong specific evidence.
• Take a few minutes before writing your essays to think about your arguments and perhaps to jot an outline on scratch paper. Decide what main points you want to make and what evidence you will use to support them.
  
  Daily Writings
  To help record attendance, to prepare for class discussions and to demonstrate how carefully you are reading the assigned works, you will spend a few minutes each class period writing about the day's assignment. 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.

A Cautionary Note About Plagiarism
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 the Dean will be notified of the reason for your failure. See also the Student Academic Integrity Policy in the UMD Catalogue.

ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION
In general, I will generously reward students who contribute week after week to class discussions with intelligent, thought-provoking comments that demonstrate careful reading of the texts and thoughtful attention to what others have said. Students who skip a lot of class, don't bring to class the texts being discussed, or don't seem to listen to what others have to say and never say anything themselves, should expect a lower grade for participation.  Thus, lack of preparation for class, irregular attendance and/or distracting behavior (sleeping, eating, checking e-mail, etc.) will hurt your grade; good attendance and active participation in class discussions will improve your grade.  As a rule, all electronic communication devices (phones, pages, cd- and tape-players, etc.) must be turned off during class, and food is not allowed in the classroom.

I expect good attendance of everyone, and I take role religiously, as your attendance is absolutely essential to the learning that happens in this course. I do understand, however, that every once in a while circumstances may make it impossible for you to attend. If you miss one or two classes during the semester, don't worry about it. If you miss more that, you may want to start worrying about how your attendance might hurt your grade. Also remember that late arrivals or early departures may 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 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 (csigler@d.umn.edu).

E-MAIL
As of August 2001, university-assigned student e-mail accounts (your d.umn.edu account) are the University's official means of communication. You are responsible for regularly checking your account, as most class updates and announcements will be made via e-mail. E-Mail is also the best and surest means to contact this professor.

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