Proseminar: African American Literature and Culture 4219-ZP021
In this seminar, you will be honing your critical skills in discussions of literature, film (possibly, given expressed interest and justification, music and other media). I will suggest readings, films and, possibly, other expressive forms for us to work on together, if possible geared toward the interests of the group. The course is not intended as a survey or introduction to African American literature and culture, but all (or most) of our texts will be derived from the African American cannon. I hope you will actively participate in class discussions.
You will also work on developing research and writing skills that will prepare you for writing your BA essay. Toward this end, you will be learning to compile a bibliography, to take good notes, and to make good use of your sources. You will be working on shaping your writing into paragraphs and revising to create coherent, persuasive longer pieces. Some of those exercises you will submit and they will contribute to your final grade.
I expect you to begin looking for and reading texts related to your interests right from the start, and to keep a journal in which you will record your reflections on those readings, preferably with short summaries (those will come in handy when you will be creating an annotated bibliography). You will submit this journal once in the middle of the semester and then again at the end of the semester and it will be part of your grade.
By mid-December, you are expected to submit a BA essay topic with a short description (it will be evaluated by an external committee). By the end of the semester I would like you to have completed a draft of what will become a chapter or a 5-7 page section of your BA thesis (and submit it together with the reading journal).
We will have one round of individual conferences (no regular class on that day), but I encourage you to talk to me individually. If you can’t come see me during my office hours, we can set up a different time.
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Term 2023Z:
In this seminar, you will be honing your critical skills in discussions of literature, film (possibly, given expressed interest and justification, music and other media). I will suggest readings, films and, possibly, other expressive forms for us to work on together, if possible geared toward the interests of the group. The course is not intended as a survey or introduction to African American literature and culture, but all (or most) of our texts will be derived from the African American cannon. I hope you will actively participate in class discussions. You will also work on developing research and writing skills that will prepare you for writing your BA essay. Toward this end, you will be learning to compile a bibliography, to take good notes, and to make good use of your sources. You will be working on shaping your writing into paragraphs and revising to create coherent, persuasive longer pieces. Some of those exercises you will submit and they will contribute to your final grade. I expect you to begin looking for and reading texts related to your interests right from the start, and to keep a journal in which you will record your reflections on those readings, preferably with short summaries (those will come in handy when you will be creating an annotated bibliography). You will submit this journal once in the middle of the semester and then again at the end of the semester and it will be part of your grade. By mid-December, you are expected to submit a BA essay topic with a short description (it will be evaluated by an external committee). By the end of the semester I would like you to have completed a draft of what will become a chapter or a 5-7 page section of your BA thesis (and submit it together with the reading journal). We will have one round of individual conferences (no regular class on that day), but I encourage you to talk to me individually. If you can’t come see me during my office hours, we can set up a different time. |
Type of course
proseminars
Prerequisites (description)
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Knowledge:
Students understand that writing is a process of discovery.
Students possess the necessary tools to define and narrow down their academic interests.
Students are aware of the nature and norms of academic writing.
Students understand the types of sources available and know where to find them.
Students know how to organize their ideas and research materials.
Students understand the importance of academic integrity.
Skills:
Students are capable of devising a topic for their BA essay, conducting research, and planning their work.
Students can critically evaluate each stage of the essay writing process.
Students can document their sources using the Chicago Manual of Style.
Students have the skills necessary for revising, proofreading, editing, and correcting their texts.
Social Competencies:
Students can be critical readers of their own work and the work of others; students respect the work of others.
Assessment criteria
The final grade will be a compilation of points for the many different tasks you will be completing. This is to encourage sustained work throughout the semester rather than a last-minute effort.
Class attendance and participation = 10 pts
Homework exercises = 30 pts
Reading Journal = 20pts
Topic description and presentation (20 pts) +1’st chapter draft (20 pts) = 40 pts
Grading scale:
98 – 100 5+
90 – 97 5
83 – 89 4+
75 – 82 4
68 – 74 3+
60 – 67 3
0 – 59 2
Bibliography
Texts related to the craft of writing:
Wayne Booth, The Craft of Research
Joseph Williams, Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity & Grace
Richard Lanham, Revising Prose
The Purdue Writing Lab, https://owl.purdue.edu
Michael Harvey, The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing
And:
Selected texts, films, songs/albums in the African American tradition.
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Term 2023Z:
Texts related to the craft of writing: Wayne Booth, The Craft of Research And: |
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: