• Syllabusmac's Literature Classes 2020
• Syllabusmac's Literature Classes Class
• Syllabusmac's Literature Classes 2019

OFFICIAL COURSE OUTLINE AND OBJECTIVES Course Description: This class introduces the student to the literary genres of fiction, poetry, and drama. It emphasizes literature as a reflection of culture and focuses on developing students' abilities to respond to and interpret literary texts. From the study of Dante’s Divine Comedy to online workshop-style courses in professional writing for business, edX offers a wide variety of free online literature and writing courses. Immerse yourself in classic novels with Berkeley’s online book club or enroll in Harvard’s popular Poetry in America series. Master of Arts degree has been one of the oldest postgraduate courses in India. At the time of its inception, the course mainly included various works and authors from British Literature. However, over the years universities have revised their syllabi to include all forms of literature written in the English language.

Instructor Information

Name: Dr. Matthew Horton
Office: 704 - Faculty Center
Email: matthew.horton@ung.edu
Office Hours: MW 10-12, F 10-1, TR 12:30-2:00

Description of Course

English 2150 is Literature and Film, a 3-credit hour course offered by the English Department in the College of Arts and Letters that fulfills the Area C 'Literature' requirement or an Area F course for majors that require or allow 2000-levels English courses. You must have earned a 'C' in English 1102 before you can take this course.

Frame by Frame, Panel by Panel: The Ethical Benefits of Visual Literacy

In this course, rather than watch films that are adapted from literature, we will watch films that reward the high level of attention we might give to literature. Along side those films, we will read a selection of comics--the actual literature of the course if you still think of literature as 'books'--that not only raise important questions about heroism and villainy but also train our minds to see films in a new light. The frames of the film and the panels of the comic--these units of attention are the building blocks we use to get the sense of a story. Without your mind to process those units and transform them into patterns of meaning, there would be no story. This semester, you will become more conscious of that mental process. You will find ways to take more responsibility of your viewing. Furthermore, the films and comics I have chosen will hopefully challenge your assumptions about what is worth viewing and reading. Are some stories better off untold or unseen? How do we decide? Is there an ethical benefit to becoming better at looking and listening? Are we better able to judge whether a story is worth the telling when we better understand how the story comes to be told?

To pass this course, you must achieve the following goals:

• Complete all film and reading observations and film responses. You will type them, without copying and pasting, in Google Drive
• Complete the final exam essay at the end of the semester. You will also type this, without copying and pasting, in Google Drive
• Complete each film term exam with a 70% or better. You take these exams in person during class

To make an 'A' in this course, you need to pursue the following goals:

• Critique intelligent films and thought-provoking comics about a variety of controversial issues
• Learn technical film terms to help you engage with the films we watch
• Discuss films with thoughtful and detailed written responses
• Become proficient at identifying and describing various elements of the films we watch and the comics we read
• Develop confidence discussing the films with your classmates
• Grow in your ability to think about films as complex works of art that help us look at the world in unique ways
• Make connections between the form of comics and film by thinking critically about artistic intent

Texts and Materials

You must purchase paper copies and bring the texts to class from the first to last day we are reading it.
• Scott McCloud. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. 1993. (another option: amazon)
• Mark Russell and Steve Pugh. The Flinstones. Vol 1. 2017. (cheaper options: instocktrades | amazon)
• Mark Russell and Steve Pugh. The Flinstones. Vol 2. 2017. (cheaper options: instocktrades | amazon)
• Tom King and Gabriel Hernandez Walta. The Vision. 2017. (cheaper options: instocktrades | amazon)
• Tom King and Mitch Gerads. The Sheriff of Babylon. 2018. (cheaper options: instocktrades | amazon [ONE hardcover or TWO paperbacks])
All films are available for rent or streaming at a variety of online vendors. Click the 'Stream' link next to each film to search. You need internet to access to online tools such as this blog, Google Drive, UNG eLearning, film clips, and our Film Terms Glossary. You need several pens/pencils and lots of notebook paper to take required discussion notes.

Syllabusmac's Literature Classes 2020

Course Grading

To learn about how your course grade will be determined, read our Grading Contract and how your grade is calculated

Course Policies

1. Content Warning: The films and comics in this course contain strong language, nudity, sexual situations, violence, controversial subjects, and complex philosophical ideas that might be disturbing or offensive to you. In particular, films that address and display situations related to domestic conflict and sexual abuse can act as psychological triggers for students who have gone through similar traumatic experiences. If these attributes will prevent you from viewing, discussing, or writing about these films and comics, you should talk with me about your options related to the course. Please have this discussion with me in the first week of class.
2. Seek help from Dr. H first. If you are struggling or need help, send me an email—we can meet for tutoring in my office. You can also use workshop time in class to ask me questions. You may seek help on assignments before they are due. Be sure to use your UNG email account and send me an email at matthew.horton@ung.edu, my UNG email address.
3. Take notes. Organized notes turned in at the end of discussion sessions will earn you participation credit. These notes must reflect your attentiveness over the whole class period.
4. Be present. All students should watch the films (and read the comics) outside of class and take an active, vocal, constructive part in discussion during class. Active means offering the class your own ideas. Vocal means speaking your ideas out loud. Constructive means helping your classmates reach a higher level of understanding. The best way to do so is to keep up with Film Response deadlines. Read the film terms glossary frequently and spend time browsing this course website and learning about the films.
5. Keep your phone in your bag. Part of participating is staying engaged with me and your classmates while in the classroom. If I see your phone or see you using your phone, I will give you a 'non-participation' mark for the day. This policy comes into effect as soon as you arrive, even before class begins, so please only use your phone in the hallway.
6. Deadlines. Work for this class includes assignments done online as well as assignments turned in during class. For online work, you need to make sure you finish typing in Google Drive by the day and time an assignment is due. If an assignment is late, you will still need to complete it. To complete the course, you must finish and submit course work on time. Lateness will be excused only if acceptable documentation is presented to me. When you are absent on a due date or when we have a test, you need proof of excuse to avoid a late penalty. If you know you will be absent ahead of time, please turn in your work (or take a scheduled test) before the day you will miss.
7. Turning in work. Some work for the class will be completed and turned in during class. You will compose film and reading observations, film responses, and your final exam essay in Google Drive. Do not copy and paste into a Google Document from some other place. Be sure to meet the word count and length requirement for each assignment. In most cases, you will post what you have written to a discussion forum in D2L, but you must first type, revise, and proofread in Google Drive. You will need a working computer with decent internet speed. Do not use email to turn in work.
8. Email. The official form of communication at the University of North Georgia is email. This UNG policy protects all of us in the exchange of information. If you need to contact me about anything, whether personal or class related, please use your UNG email account to send a message to matthew.horton@ung.edu. This is my official UNG email address. Check your email two or three times a day for updates. Check it more frequently if you have emailed me a question.
9. Disruptive behavior. Any behavior that interferes with my learning environment is grounds for dismissal from class. I emphasize the importance of sensitivity and respect in and out of class between you and me and between you and your classmates. Refrain from gestures, attitudes, tones, and words that are meant to be base, insulting, or provocative. Please do not express disagreement with my policies, decisions, or academic help in front of other students; I am happy to field complaints privately during my office hours. During class, you should disagree openly and passionately (and expect the same from me) about any ideas expressed in our films, comics, and discussions if you have different ideas. I should point out a few other rules. If you arrive late, no matter how late, please come in. Once you arrive, don't leave early unless you have checked with me before class begins. You may have bottled water in the classroom, but food is too distracting and messy (see me if you have health-related reason to need food in the classroom). When you are in the classroom, even before class begins, do not do work for other courses or zone out on your devices.
10. Academic honesty. All work submitted to fulfill requirements of this class must meet UNG standards of academic honesty. Violations of these standards include receiving or giving assistance on any graded assignment without my permission (aka, cheating), fabricating evidence for use in an assignment (aka, lying), and using another person's words or thoughts in your assignment without giving that person credit (aka, plagiarism). Penalty for committing these acts could range from a zero on the assignment to an 'F' in the course.
11. Withdrawal. Remember that you cannot withdraw from a class simply by not coming anymore; rather, you must withdraw yourself through Banner Web before the midpoint. Also, I reserve the right to request that you be withdrawn from the class if you miss more the 10% of the class meetings, whether you reach this limit before or after midpoint. Please be familiar with the University Attendance Policies.
12. Disclaimer. This syllabus is subject to change to meet the needs of the course.

Supplemental Syllabus

Syllabusmac's Literature Classes Class

Syllabusmac's Literature Classes 2019

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