StraighterLine

Course Text

Any authorized version of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein published in 1818. ISBN: 9780743487580.

Course Description

As a continuation of English Composition I, this course focuses on analysis and argument while devoting attention to academic researched writing, critical thinking across the curriculum, citation, and documentation. Students will use a variety of readings to develop several modes of writing including evaluation, literary analysis, classification, media analysis, illustration, and researched-based writing.

Course Objectives

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• Describe literary and media genres.
• Write a variety of essays requiring analysis, evaluation, and research.
• Choose effective organization patterns to support an essay's rhetorical style.
• Examine literary and media techniques to appreciate and analyze purpose, audience, and agenda.
• Examine plot, setting, characterization, theme, and point of view in film and literature.
• Conduct research in the library, online, and through interviews, and incorporate that research into written arguments.
• Read, interpret, and evaluate primary and secondary sources.
• Create strong thesis statements based on an analysis of information contained in primary and secondary sources.
• Appropriately document sources using Modern Language Association (MLA) style.
• Compose well-supported and well-organized essays based on research and/or personal experience.
• Revise essays to reflect correct usage, syntax grammar, and mechanics.

Course Prerequisites

You must have successfully completed English Composition I or its equivalent to be eligible for enrollment in this course.

MLA Research Guidelines

This course follows the research guidelines of the Modern Language Association (MLA). These guidelines were most recently revised in 2003 in the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (6th ed.). A summary of these guidelines is provided in the SMARTHINKING Writer's Handbook .

Academic Honesty

Academic honesty is expected of all students.

To reflect academic honesty, students must:

1. Submit only their own work.
2. Use quotations and citations to indicate words taken from another source.
3. Cite instances of paraphrasing (rewording) information.
4. Cite ideas or examples that are not general knowledge.

Important Terms

In this course, different terms are used to designate tasks:

• Assignment: A written piece that will be submitted to SMARTHINKING for a grade when the final draft is complete.
• Practice Exercise: A non-graded quiz or writing piece that provides practice using skills discussed in a topic.
• Graded Quiz: A graded online assessment.
• Graded Exam: A graded online assessment.

Writing Submissions

Writing exercises and assignments may only be submitted as .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .txt files. Macintosh users should add an extension (.doc or .rtf) to the file name before uploading. If you have questions on saving files, please contact support@smarthinking.com .

Course Evaluation Criteria

StraighterLine does not apply letter grades. Students earn a score as a percentage of 100%. A passing percentage is 70% or higher. If you have chosen a Partner College to award credit for this course, your final grade will be based upon that college's grading scale. Only passing scores will be considered by Partner Colleges for an award of credit.

There are a total of 383 points in the course:

Topic	Assessment	Points Available
1	Graded Quiz 1.1: Reading Literature	10
1	Graded Quiz 1.2: Frankenstein	5
2	Graded Quiz 2.1: Symbolism, Allegory, and Irony	10
2	Graded Quiz 2.2: Frankenstein	5
2	Writing Assignment: Cartoon Analysis	21
3	Graded Quiz 3.1: Frankenstein	5
4	Graded Quiz 4.1: Evaluation	10
4	Graded Quiz 4.2: Frankenstein	5
4	Comprehensive Graded Exam: Frankenstein	100
4	Writing Assignment: Frankenstein Evaluation Essay	21
5	Graded Quiz 5.1: Thesis Development	6
5	Graded Quiz 5.2: Revising and Editing	10
5	Writing Assignment: Frankenstein Application Essay	21
6	Graded Quiz 6.1: Interviewing	10
7	Graded Quiz 7.1: Argument Letter	10
7	Graded Quiz: 7.2: Research and Citation	20
7	Writing Assignment: Researched Proposal Letter	21
8	Graded Quiz 8.1: Media Analysis	10
8	Writing Assignment: Media Analysis Essay	21
9	Graded Quiz 9.1: Illustration	10
9	Writing Assignment: Illustration Essay	21
10	Graded Quiz 10.1: Classification	10
10	Writing Assignment: Classification Essay	21

Course Topics and Objectives

Topic	Lesson Topic	Subtopics	Objectives
1	Reading Literature	Genres of Literature Close REading Elements of Close Reading Specific to Genre	Define a "close reading" of a text. Classify a piece of literature as fiction, poetry, drama, or nonfiction. Compare and contrast different ways of reading the four basic types of literature.
2	Language Use	Symbolism Irony Allegory Imagery Simile Metaphor	Interpret symbols, irony, and allegory. Identify imagery and describe its effect. Identify and explain simile and metaphor in literary works. Examine literary elements in a comic or political cartoon analysis.
3	Examining Fiction	Fiction Writers in Context Examining Stories that Share a Common Theme Critical Thinking: How Themes Help Us Connect with Works of Fiction	Examine ways in which knowing an author's context helps you better understand a story. Evaluate different authors' treatments of the same theme. Describe how having your own life experience with a particular theme lets you read fiction more critically.
4	Evaluation	Introduction to Evaluation Evaluation Strategies Writing an Evaluation Essay	Examine an author's language, style, evidence, and purpose to evaluate a written piece. Develop an informed opinion, and present it in a written essay. Recognize logical flaws and avoid them in writing.
5	Writing about Literature	Inventing a Thesis Defining Your Audience Writing and Revising: Supporting Your Thesis Editing and Proofreading: Giving a Paper the Final Touch	Describe several strategies available for creating a thesis. Purposefully choose a paper's audience. Write a well-organized paper that strongly supports its thesis. Write well-organized paragraphs that strongly support their topic sentences. Identify and correct awkward sentences and punctuation errors. Write an well-organized essay, applying the themes of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to modern day life.
6	The Interview	Introduction to Interviewing Interviewing Strategies Using Interview Data in Research	Prepare for a successful research interview. Complete a professional interview to elicit the necessary information Incorporate researched information from the interview into a written piece.
7	Research	Argument: Defending a Position or Opinion Through Research Sources for Research Accurately Citing Your Sources	Define the purpose of a researched proposal letter. Formulate a substantial argument for a researched proposal letter. Locate and evaluate sources to support a research topic. Employ accurate MLA citing.
8	Media Analysis	Introduction to Analyzing Broadcast Media and Film Television and Film Analysis Strategies Writing a Film Analysis Essay	Analyze a media production by focusing on a specific creative element. Use correct terminology to refer to elements of a media production. Synthesize observations from the film or television production and craft a media analysis essay.
9	Illustration	Introduction to Illustration Illustration Strategies Writing an Illustration Essay	Create a thesis statement for an illustration essay. Provide illustrations for a claim. Select appropriate examples to support a claim. Use logical explanation to indicate how the examples illustrate your point.
10	Classification	Introduction to Classification Classification Strategies Classification and Analysis Writing an Classification Essay	Create a purposeful thesis statement for a classification essay. Classify like items or ideas based on their traits. Analyze a larger category and divide a larger category into subgroups that include ALL examples from that category. Define the subgroups, indicating the traits all members must share. Select representative examples and non-examples of items in that group, explaining why they do or do not fit.
11	Review	Reading Literature Language Use Examining Fiction Evaluation Writing about Literature The Interview Research Media Analysis Illustration Classification	None