I. General Information
1. Course Title:
Honors Composition I: The Great Books—Self, Society and the Quest for Fulfillment
2. Course Prefix & Number:
ENGL 1420
3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:
Credits: 4
Lecture Hours: 4
4. Course Description:
Honors Composition I is a seminar course of the great books of non-Western and Western literature. Students will read, discuss, analyze, and evaluate creative literature (plays, novels, poetry collections) and non-fiction literature. Students will compose five academic essays in response to the ideas presented in the literary works. While this course will use the language of literature to discuss characterization, plot, conflict, setting, and tone, the course focuses not on the literary accoutrements but on the ideas presented in the creative works.
5. Placement Tests Required:
| Accuplacer (specify test): |
Reading |
Score: |
100 |
6. Prerequisite Courses:
ENGL 1420 - Honors Composition I: The Great Books—Self, Society and the Quest for Fulfillment
There are no prerequisites for this course.
7. Other Prerequisites
Students must be accepted into the Honors Program.
9. Co-requisite Courses:
ENGL 1420 - Honors Composition I: The Great Books—Self, Society and the Quest for Fulfillment
There are no corequisites for this course.
II. Transfer and Articulation
1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:
|
Name of Institution
|
Course Number and Title
|
Credits
|
|
Century College, White Bear Lake, MN
|
ENGL 2018--Introduction to Folklore
|
3
|
|
Normandale Community College, MN
|
ENGC 1101--Honors Composition
|
4
|
|
UMD
|
Honors Advanced Writing
|
3
|
|
University of Minnesota, Crookston
|
Honors Composition I and II
|
3
|
|
SCSU
|
Honors Composition
|
3
|
III. Course Purpose
1. Program-Applicable Courses – This course is required for the following program(s):
AA Honors Program
2. MN Transfer Curriculum (General Education) Courses - This course fulfills the following goal area(s) of the MN Transfer Curriculum:
- Goal 1 – Written and Oral Communication
- Goal 6 – Humanities and Fine Arts
IV. Learning Outcomes
1. College-Wide Outcomes
| College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies |
Students will be able to: |
| Demonstrate oral communication skills |
This outcome can be achieved through seminar discussions, Socratic lectures, oral exams, round table debates, and mock trials |
| Demonstrate written communication skills |
Students will compose five academic essays, submit several online discussion postings and journal entries. |
| Demonstrate reading and listening skills |
Students will read at least 18 “great books” and discuss the ideas, conflicts, cultural and ethical dilemmas presented in the great books. |
| Apply abstract ideas to concrete situations |
The writing process is abstract; students will learn practical steps to approach this abstract process.
In the argument unit, students will compose sound arguments in response to abstract concepts. For example, students might create an argument that attempts to convince the audience on the meaning or relevance of justice, redemption, or liberty (or argue how a certain author orchestrates those themes in his/her writing).
|
| Work as a team member to achieve shared goals |
Students participate in peer review groups, read rough drafts, and provide suggestions for improvement. Students also participate in discussions (electronically and personally) to exchange ideas and interpretations. |
| Discuss/compare characteristics of diverse cultures and environments |
Students will read a diverse selection of literary works, all of which are products of a specific culture and environment. Using journal and essay assignments that focus on cultural and environmental issues that influence a work of literature, students will respond to a rhetorical scenario. |
2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of
the course:
|
Expected Outcome
|
MnTC
Goal Area
|
|
Understand/demonstrate the writing and speaking processes through invention, organization, drafting, revision, editing and presentation.
|
1
|
|
Participate effectively in groups with emphasis on listening, critical and reflective thinking, and responding.
|
1
|
|
Locate, evaluate, and synthesize in a responsible manner material from diverse sources and points of view.
|
1
|
|
Select appropriate communication choices for specific audiences.
|
1
|
|
Construct logical and coherent arguments.
|
1
|
|
Use authority, point-of-view, and individual voice and style in their writing and speaking.
|
1
|
|
Employ syntax and usage appropriate to academic disciplines and the professional world.
|
1
|
|
Demonstrate awareness of the scope and variety of works in the arts and humanities.
|
6
|
|
Understand those works as expressions of individual and human values within a historical and social context.
|
6
|
|
Respond critically to works in the arts and humanities.
|
6
|
|
Engage in the creative process or interpretive performance.
|
6
|
|
Articulate an informed personal reaction to works in the arts and humanities.
|
6
|
V. Topical Outline
Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.
1. Lecture Sessions
Unit 1: “The Soul Selects [its] Own Society”
Essay topic: Narrative
- Narrative as an expression of identity
- Narrative techniques
- Peer review process
- Analysis of novels/works that address the individual, particularly isolated from society
Unit 2: Self and Society in Conflict
Essay topic: Informative
- Social and Political Struggles
- Self and social responsibility
Unit 3: Hero/Citizen
Essay topic: Informative
- Does the hero still have “a thousand faces?”
- Fulfilling the role of the citizen.
Unit 4: The Good Life
Essay topic: Argument
- What does the “good life” mean?
- How have the literary works depicted “the good life?”
Unit 5: Literary Analysis
Essay topic: Argument
- The language of criticism
- Literary journal