Online Orientation

ENGL 1600-41: Critical Thinking, Literature, and Composition

Catalogue Description: This course focuses on critical thinking and composition through reading of essays, poetry, drama, and fiction. It introduces critical evaluation, develops techniques of analytical, critical and argumentative writing, explores inference, evidence, inductive and deductive reasoning, identification of assumptions, underlying conclusions, and other terms of logical thinking, and continues expository writing (8,000 words minimum).

Prerequisite: English 1500 with a grade of C or better

Course Details

Instructor: Laura Peet

Email: lpeet@taftcollege.edu
Virtual Office Hours: Thursdays 3-4:30 p.m.
Available Student Contact Hours: Tuesday 3:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Units: 3

Class Meets: October 5 - December 18, 2009

Textbooks & Estimated Costs:

Textbook: A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature (Guerin, Labr, Morgan, Reesman, and Willingham) (contact book store for latest price 661-763-7731)
Purchase Textbook: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (contact book store for latest price 661-763-7731)
Purchase Textbook: Hamlet by William Shakespeare (contact book store for latest price 661-763-7731)

Estimated Time Per Week: Students can expect to devote on average at least 10-12 hours per week to the class given the reading and writing assignments.

Special Requirements: This course is delivered through the Etudes program. All work is to be submitted electronically. Students are welcome to contact me for help; all communication is encouraged.

Assignments & Tests: In addition to the Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature, students will read Andrew Marvell’s poem To His Coy Mistress, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown, Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, and William Shakespeare’s tragic play hamlet. Inspired by the in-depth discussions of these texts from the Handbook, the student will create four original essays on each of these texts, demonstrating insight well beyond a basic summary of plot or theme.

Proctored Exams: None.

Additional Comments: The essays represent the student’s demonstration of critical thinking, so analysis of these works that make sophisticated connections with supporting material and examples will be the most relevant and convincing. I want to see evidence of your learning with deep and complex ideas supported.

Syllabus: Click the link to view the course syllabus in PDF format. The file will open in a new window.

New to ETUDES: Be sure to check System Requirements before getting started with ETUDES. You need to do this on each computer you use while taking a class through ETUDES.

ETUDES Course: You will log into the Etudes classroom with log-in information provided below:

New Users use the following login instructions:

Login ID

Password

First 2 letters of first name +
First 2 letters of last name +
Last 5 digits of your Student ID

(Type using all lower case letters)

Example:

Jose A. Garcia
ID: A000123456

Username = joga23456

MonthDay of birth in school records

(Type using all lower case letters)

Example:

Birthday is April 11th, 1982 (04/11/82)

Password = 0411

Previous Users use the following login instructions:

Login ID

Password

First 2 letters of first name +
First 2 letters of last name +
Last 5 digits of Student ID

(Type using all lower case letters)

Example:

Jose A. Garcia
ID: A000123456

Username = joga23456

Enter the password YOU set in a previous term

If you cannot remember your password, go to the ETUDES login screen and reset the password. Be sure to use the email address you used in on your application.

Disclaimer: The book prices are an approximation only and are subject to change.