English 121: Humanities Literature — Full List of Course Assignments

Course Unit Assignments

Assignment: Lyrical Stories
Due Aug. 30

• Select two songs that you wish to share
  • One song should tell a story
  • The other song should be one of your all time favorites
• Make a copy of the song lyrics to turn in (put your name on it)
• Bring both songs to class on CD(s)
  • We’ll play many of these during class
  • Dr. Pagnucci will also listen to your favorite songs over the weekend
• On a piece of paper, type the following:
  • Artists, Song Title, and Album Title for both songs
  • Explain why you like the song that is one of your favorites
  • Describe what you think the story is about in the other song

Sep. 1 Friday
NO CLASS

• No regular class meeting in order to allow time for Book Store/Library Research Observation

Assignment: Book Store/Library Research Observation
Due Sep. 6

• In place of our regular class meeting, your task is to visit a bookstore or library (visiting IUP’s library and bookstore do NOT count; Indiana has 4 bookstores and a library, several of which are within walking distance of campus)
• Spend at least 30 minutes in the library/bookstore observing your surroundings; it will be helpful to take a few notes while you are there (think of yourself as a field researcher)
• After completing your visit, type a 1-2 page paper (double spaced) describing your visit. Please cover the basic information below:
  • Name and location of the bookstore/library
  • What does the bookstore/library look like on the outside and inside? Describe the general appearance/atmosphere of the place.
  • What sorts of books are on prominent display?
  • What sorts of non-book materials are displayed?
  • What kinds of customers/patrons are in the bookstore/library? What are these people doing while there?
  • What are the workers at the bookstore/library like?
  • What effect is visiting this library/bookstore likely to have on a person? How did visiting this place make you feel?
  • If you are inspired to get one or more books while at this place, what book(s) did you get and why?

Sep. 8 Friday
Class Meeting in Leonard 211

• For this day only, We will be meeting in our OLD classroom, 211 Leonard Hall; Next week we will be back in 113 McElhaney Hall

Sep. 11 Monday
Class Returns to 113 McElhaney Hall

• This week we will be back in 113 McElhaney Hall, the computer classroom.

Assignment: Select Individual Novel
Due Sep. 8

• Select a novel you would personally like to read
• The novel you select should be:
  • a book you are really interested in reading
  • fiction
  • a book not typically taught in high school (please avoid Huckleberry Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird)
  • at least 150 pages long
  • a book you have not read before
• Please bring a copy of the novel with you to class

Assignment: Think of a Potential Book Club Novel
Due Sep. 11

• Select a novel you would enjoy reading and discussing with someone else
• The novel you select should be:
  • a book you are really interested in reading
  • a book that would appeal to other readers
  • fiction
  • a book not typically taught in high school (please avoid Huckleberry Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird)
  • at least 150 pages long
  • a book you have not read before
• If you have copy of this novel, please bring it with you to class

Assignment: Read
For Sep. 13

• No written assignment is due for this class meeting
• Spend time reading your Individually Selected Novel

Assignment: Phone home
Due Sep. 15

• Call your family and ask them what stories/shows you really liked as a child.
• See if you can find out what the first book anyone read to you was or what some of your favorite books were as a little kid.

Assignment: Response Paper for Reading “What is a Fairy Tale?”
Due Sep. 15

• Read the Online Article “What is a Fairy Tale” which is located at the link below:
  • http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/introduction/ftdefinition.html
• After reading the article, type a Response Paper to the article by answering these questions (it’s probably easiest to copy and paste the questions below into Microsoft Word):

1. What is a fairy?
2. What does Tolkien say is the most important element of fairy tales?3. Who is Tolkien and what books is he famous for writing?
3. Why do you think fairy tales are so common and have been around for so long?
4. Is there really such a thing as magic?

Response Paper Formatting Requirements

• • Use this title: Paper Response to “What is a Fairy Tale?”
  • Be sure to put your full name, your email address, the date, and English 121 on the paper in the upper right hand corner.
  • Staple your paper if it is more than one page.

Sep. 18 Monday
NO CLASS

• No regular class meeting in order to give you some reading time.

Assignment: Read from Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
Due Sep. 20 Wed.

• Part I (Pages 1-41)
• Bring your book with you to class

Assignment: Read more from Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
Due Sep. 22 Fri.

• Keep reading from the class book
• Also keep reading from your individually selected novel

Assignment: Work on Improving Your Group Fairy Tale
Due Sep. 25 Mon.

• We will finish writing the fairy tales on Monday, so do enough work this weekend to make sure that your story will be done by the end of class
• You also need to decorate your story with suitable colors and graphics
• This should also be completed by the end of class on Monday
• Anyone who missed class will be required to write a fairy tale on their own following the guidelines on the assignment page:
  • Task: Write a Group Fairy Tale

Assignment: Bring a Novel to Class
Due EVERY DAY

• Bring either your personally selected novel and/or Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress with you to class
• Since there isn’t too much nice warm weather left, if we get a good day and have time, we might spend a day outside reading
• If you don’t have a novel with you, you will lose some points (which is bad) AND you will also disappoint me (which is REALLY bad)

Assignment: Select Book Club Book
Due Sep. 27 Wed.

• Finalize your Book Club novel choice and partners
• Complete the Semester Literature Reading Project sheet

Assignment: Read & Bring Balzac with You to Class
Due Sep. 29 Fri.

• Bring Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress with you to class
• No written assignment is due for this class meeting
• Spend time reading one of your 3 novels for class

Assignment: Written Response 1 for Balzac
Due Oct. 4 Wed.

• Based on your reading of Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (Part I, pages 1-41), do Written Response 1 for Balzac

Assignment: Writing Assignment: Literature Definition
Due Oct. 6 Fri.

• Read these 3 online articles:
  • “Why I Read” by Sherri Winans (English Teacher)
  • “A Classic” by Esther Lombardi
  • “Literature” by Esther Lombardi
• After reading the articles, complete the assignment below:
  • Writing Assignment: Literature Definition

Assignment: Read
Due Oct. 9 Mon.

• No written assignment is due for this class meeting
• Spend time reading one of your 3 novels for class

Assignment: Read & Bring a Novel to Class
Due Oct. 11 Wed.

• Bring your Book Club Novel or Your Individually Chosen Novel with you to class
• No written assignment is due for this class meeting
• Spend time reading one of your 3 novels for class

Assignment: Read
For Oct. 13

• No written assignment is due for this class meeting
• Spend time reading your Individually Selected Novel or Book Club Novel

Assignment: Read
For Oct. 16

• No written assignment is due for this class meeting
• Spend time reading your Individually Selected Novel or Book Club Novel
• Enjoy Homecoming Weekend in moderation (Please be responsible!)

Assignment: Read
For Oct. 18 Wed.

• No written assignment is due for this class meeting
• Spend time reading your Individually Selected Novel or Book Club Novel

Oct. 20 Friday
NO CLASS

• No regular class meeting
• Use short IUP Fall Break to work on reading more of Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

Assignment: Read from Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
Due Oct. 27 Fri.

• Read Part II (Pages 43-106)
• Bring your book with you to class

Assignment: Read from Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
Due Oct. 30 Mon.

• If you haven’t already done so, be sure to read Part II (Pages 43-106)
• Bring your book with you to class

Review Day
for Nov. 1 Wed.

• This will be a critical day for class attendance
• We will be reviewing for the Midterm Exam
• Make sure you attend class so that you will be prepared for the exam

Exam Day
for Nov. 3 Fri.

• We’ll be taking the midterm exam this day
• Bring Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress with you to use during the exam
• There is no homework assignment for the weekend following the exam

Read: Identity Crisis (Chps. 1-3)
Due Nov. 8 Wed.

• Bring the Identity Crisis book with you to class

Assignment: Super Powers Survey
Due Nov.  10 Fri.

• Survey 10 people not from this class (they can be friends or relatives, just not people taking this section of English 121)
• Ask each person which super power they would rather have, the power to fly or the power to turn invisible
• Also ask them why they would choose the power they chose
• Also ask them for a little bit of demographic information. Ask:
  • age
  • education level attained
  • job
  • rough income level
  • single or married
  • (also record the person’s gender)
• For each person you survey, record all this information
• Type the results of your survey
• At the top of your survey, put “Super Powers Survey” as the title, type your full name, and type the date

Assignment: Reading Report on Identity Crisis, Chps. 4-7
Due Nov. 13 Mon.

• Read the rest of Identity Crisis (Chps. 4-7)
• After you finish reading the book, type up a short reading report following the guidelines below:
  • Reading Report on Identity Crisis, Chps. 4-7
• Bring the Identity Crisis book with you to class

Read: Billy Collins’ Sailing Alone Around the Room
Due Nov. 15

• Read pages 1-40
• Bring the Sailing Alone Around the Room book with you to class

Read: Billy Collins’ Sailing Alone Around the Room (Parts 1 & 2)
Due Nov. 15

• Read Parts 1 and 2 of the book:
  • The Apple That Astonished Paris (Part 1)
  • Questions About Angels (Part 2)
• Bring the Sailing Alone Around the Room book with you to class

Read: Billy Collins’ Sailing Alone Around the Room (Parts 4 & 5)
Due Nov. 17

• Read Parts 4 and 5 of the book:
  • Picnic, Lightning (Part 4)
  • New Poems (Part 5)
• Bring the Sailing Alone Around the Room book with you to class

Assignment: Found Poems
Nov. 20

• Write 2 found poems following the directions below:
  • Assignment: Found Poems

Guest Poetry Reading by Billy Collins
Nov. 20

Thanksgiving Break: No Class
(Nov. 22-24)

• Spend time reading your Book Group Book
• Spend time reading your Individually Selected Novel
• Enjoy some time with family and friends, but try not to eat too much!

Reading Day: No Class
(Nov. 27 Mon.)

• Spend time reading your Book Group Book
• Spend time reading your Individually Selected Novel
• Bring your Book Group Book with you to class

Assignment: Book Club Response Paper Draft
For Dec. 1 & 4

• Get started writing your Book Club Response Paper
• Bring a copy of your paper draft with you to class

Assignment: Read the rest of Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
Due Dec. 6

• Read Part III (Pages 107-184 [the end])
• Bring your book with you to class

Primary Essay Assignment 1: Book Club Response Paper Final Version
Due Dec. 8

• Your Book Club Response Paper is due at the Final Exam Meeting

Assignment: Literary Analysis Essay Draft
For Dec. 8

• Get started writing your Literary Analysis Essay
• Bring a copy of your essay draft with you to class

Dec. 11 Monday
NO CLASS

• Use regular class time to finish writing your Literary Analysis Essay
• Check WebCT later this week for an update on your course grade

Primary Essay Assignment 2: Literary Analysis Essay Final Version
Due Dec. 15 Fri.

• Your Literary Analysis Essay is due at the Final Exam Meeting

Final Exam Meeting (Class Wrap Up)
For Dec. 15 Fri. 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

• End of the Semester Party: Bring some food to share at our party
• Literary Analysis Essay DUE
• Meet in 113 McElhaney Hall (our regular computer classroom)
• Final reading and writing activities
• A little wisdom for the road
• Attendance at the Final Exam Meeting is required to pass this course
• Students who miss the Final Exam Meeting are not eligible for Extra Credit

Extra Credit Deadline
Due Dec. 18 by NOON

• All extra credit should be sent to Dr. Pagnucci via email with Extra Credit in the Subject: line
  • Subject: Extra Credit
• Doing extra credit is not required
• I’m giving you an extra weekend to work on extra credit in case you need it
• Extra credit received past noon on the due date will not be counted
• Students who miss the Final Exam Meeting are not eligible for Extra Credit