Course Topics for Spring 2010

Note: All English 103, 104, 105 and 106 courses differ in their content.  Students should examine the course descriptions below for topics they find interesting.  All of these sections are alike in that they are designed to teach students how to write using research at a level sufficient to allow them to survive their 200-level courses.  Students in English 105 and 106 will be evaluated for College Writing Proficiency (CWP) to make sure they are ready to proceed in upper-division work for their majors.  Click here for the CWP criteria.  Students in English 104 who make extraordinary progress may be asked by their instructors to submit a Writing Portfolio to demonstrate that their prose meets the CWP criteria.  Click here for the Writing Portfolio instructions.  Note that instructors must explicitly indicate that they believe 104 students are ready to meet the CWP criteria before the students may submit a portfolio.

        English 105 does not teach all the research skills for any specific majors.  Additional research skills appropriate to individual majors are required and taught by each major department.  Nevertheless, to help students understand the common kinds of curiosities which scholars pursue and the rules they follow for developing intellectual property, most English 105 sections center their content readings and experiences in one discipline, from which they can draw connections to the rest of them.  The course topic descriptions below are preliminary and may be altered at the instructor's discretion.  If a description is not yet listed, we hope to provide it soon, or you can contact the instructor for the course you are interested in taking. 

English 103.001 (MWF 8:30-9:20), Mary Reisinger--TBA

English 104.001 (MWF 8:30-9:20), TBA

English 104.002 (MWF 9:30-10:20),  Mary Reisinger--What do Tony Hawk, Bill Gates, Ray Kroc, Madame C.J. Walker, Coco Chanel, Henry Ford, and Eldridge Johnson have in common? They took an innovative idea—their own or someone else’s—and changed the way we live. In this academic writing course, the focus will be on the stories of entrepreneurs and their endeavors. There is only one required handbook, but students should be prepared to spend another $10-15 for materials related to class projects.

English 104.003 (MWF 11:30-12:20), Charlee Sterling--Writing With Style will teach you both to think and to write critically, focusing on the kinds of essays you will be writing throughout your academic career. In this course we will produce essay drafts of varying lengths that reflect our understanding of writing as a process,  and at times, incorporating secondary sources. Through the reading of literary "greatest hits," we will distinguish between tone and style in relation to audience, both in professional writing and in our own.

English 104.004 (TTh 1:30-2:45), Kate Luse  The American Dream: Myth or Reality?  What is the American Dream? Does it mean the same thing for every person? How does one know when it has been attained? Does everyone have an equal opportunity to attain it? Can it even be attained, or is it, in fact, not reality but rather a myth? And do other cultures have similar myths or is this a uniquely American phenomenon? Through exploring the concept of the American Dream, you will hone composition and critical thinking skills essential for meaningful work in college.

English 104.005 (TTh 3:00-4:15), Kate Luse  The American Dream: Myth or Reality?  What is the American Dream? Does it mean the same thing for every person? How does one know when it has been attained? Does everyone have an equal opportunity to attain it? Can it even be attained, or is it, in fact, not reality but rather a myth? And do other cultures have similar myths or is this a uniquely American phenomenon? Through exploring the concept of the American Dream, you will hone composition and critical thinking skills essential for meaningful work in college.

English 105.001 (MWF 8:30-9:20) Carol Pippen  Coming of Age in Literature and Film: One of the most beloved themes in literature and film is the coming-of-age narrative. In its many versions, such tales have entertained and instructed readers, all of whom were going through the process or who had already gone through it. These two sections of English 105 will read and remember that process; will research particular renditions of that process, and will contribute analytical papers that enlighten our understanding of that process as illustrated in literature and film.

English 105.002 (MWF 9:30-10:20) Phaye Poliakioff-Chen This is an advanced college writing course on the topic of media literacy. We will examine print media in particular, paying close attention to the origins and state of the news. We will read Unspun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation, by Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Losing the News, by Alex Jones, and Media Control, by Noam Chomsky. In addition, we will read various articles available from the Goucher Library’s electronic resources databases. The main objectives of this course are simple: you will become a better writer in general and a better writer of academic papers in particular. The final project in this class is a research paper on a topic of your own choosing.

English 105.003 (MWF 9:30-10:20) Elizabeth Leik  Documenting Social Issues: Society often documents trials and tribulations through film. This class reviews a collection of documentaries that cover education, contests, sports, food, and disability to see how people cope with differences and form communities. Our writing deals with researching issues that can be altered or improved based on the readings and documentaries. A selection of readings will include essays by George Orwell, David Simon, Susan Orlean; the documentaries may include Hands on a Hardbody, Supersize Me, Hoop Dreams, and The Boys of Baraka.

English 105.004 (MWF 10:30-11:20) Carol Pippen  Coming of Age in Literature and Film: One of the most beloved themes in literature and film is the coming-of-age narrative. In its many versions, such tales have entertained and instructed readers, all of whom were going through the process or who had already gone through it. These two sections of English 105 will read and remember that process; will research particular renditions of that process, and will contribute analytical papers that enlighten our understanding of that process as illustrated in literature and film.

English 105.005 (MWF 10:30-11:20) Mina Brunyate  The River Is Deep  The topic of rivers provides rich possibilities for writing and research. That rivers have long inspired painters, composers, and writers is just the beginning. Not only have they hosted early settlements that grew into cities, but they have served as borders between states and countries. They have been places of spiritual renewal and baptism. They have been homes to plants and animals, and they have spawned illnesses and cures. They have been conduits for journeys into the unknown. As sources of water and energy, rivers hold even more significance today. In this class, we shall explore rivers and other waterways worldwide and examine both the verbal and the visual discourse about these bodies of water. Readings will include James Dickey's novel Deliverance and Fred Pearce's collection of environmental essays When the Rivers Run Dry. Projects will include personal narratives, historical and environmental research papers, and river cruise proposals.

English 105.006 (MWF 11:30-12:20) Laura Orem  This section looks at the role of art in social activism. We will explore, within their historical contexts, examples of literature, film, and/or music that offer social or political critiques and calls to action. In the final project, students will create their own work of “altered text” art in response to a current social or political issue, and write an artist’s statement describing both the issue and the artistic process involved in creating their own artwork.

English 105.007 (MWF 11:30-12:20) Phaye Poliakoff-Chen This is an advanced college writing course on the topic of media literacy. We will examine print media in particular, paying close attention to the origins and state of the news. We will read Unspun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation, by Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Losing the News, by Alex Jones, and Media Control, by Noam Chomsky. In addition, we will read various articles available from the Goucher Library’s electronic resources databases. The main objectives of this course are simple: you will become a better writer in general and a better writer of academic papers in particular. The final project in this class is a research paper on a topic of your own choosing.

English 105.008 (MWF 12:30-1:20) Laura Orem  This section looks at the role of art in social activism. We will explore, within their historical contexts, examples of literature, film, and/or music that offer social or political critiques and calls to action. In the final project, students will create their own work of “altered text” art in response to a current social or political issue, and write an artist’s statement describing both the issue and the artistic process involved in creating their own artwork.

English 105.009 (MWF 12:30-1:20) Phaye Poliakoff-Chen  This is an advanced college writing course on the topic of media literacy. We will examine print media in particular, paying close attention to the origins and state of the news. We will read Unspun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation, by Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Losing the News, by Alex Jones, and Media Control, by Noam Chomsky. In addition, we will read various articles available from the Goucher Library’s electronic resources databases. The main objectives of this course are simple: you will become a better writer in general and a better writer of academic papers in particular. The final project in this class is a research paper on a topic of your own choosing.

English 105.010 (MWF 1:30-12:20) Mina Brunyate  Religion and its Audiences: Conscience and Community  While English 105 continues to examine the practice of academic writing, it does so in the context of research. Religion provides an interesting forum in which to explore the interweaving of audience and information. Today, this forum is increasingly relevant, as the moral and political ramifications of various religious groups explode beyond national borders. While we shall focus primarily on religion in the United States, the issues raised throughout the course exist worldwide, as the tensions between faith and fact, religious and secular, conservative and liberal, pull at the fabrics of governments and societies. The assigned readings establish religion as a source of power, a power that both confirms and defies community. Indeed, religion is enmeshed with culture, race, and politics, linked to both destruction and redemption.

English 105.011 (MWF 1:30-2:20) Elizabeth Leik  Documenting Social Issues: Society often documents trials and tribulations through film. This class reviews a collection of documentaries that cover education, contests, sports, food, and disability to see how people cope with differences and form communities. Our writing deals with researching issues that can be altered or improved based on the readings and documentaries. A selection of readings will include essays by George Orwell, David Simon, Susan Orlean; the documentaries may include Hands on a Hardbody, Supersize Me, Hoop Dreams, and The Boys of Baraka.

English 105.012 (MWF 2:30-3:20) Mina Brunyate  Religion and its Audiences: Conscience and Community  While English 105 continues to examine the practice of academic writing, it does so in the context of research. Religion provides an interesting forum in which to explore the interweaving of audience and information. Today, this forum is increasingly relevant, as the moral and political ramifications of various religious groups explode beyond national borders. While we shall focus primarily on religion in the United States, the issues raised throughout the course exist worldwide, as the tensions between faith and fact, religious and secular, conservative and liberal, pull at the fabrics of governments and societies. The assigned readings establish religion as a source of power, a power that both confirms and defies community. Indeed, religion is enmeshed with culture, race, and politics, linked to both destruction and redemption.

English 105.013 (TTh 8:30-9:45) MJ Jaffee  Who do you think you are?  This course will examine self-concept and the way one's character is shaped by friends, family, and community.  Our sense of identity is continually evolving.  The works of writers such as Atwood and Kingsolver will be explored within the context of psychological theory.  We will examine the influences on our decision-making, creativity, and relationships to others.  Finally, the relationship between authors and their protagonists will be researched in connection to their own life experiences.   

English 105.014 (TTh 10:00-11:15) Angelo Robinson  The theme of the course on academic writing is a focus on identity: national, racial, ethnic, gender, religious, and sexual. We will explore the subject of identity thru texts that include essays, a short story, and a novel, as well as primary and secondary research. 

English 105.015 (TTh 10:00-11:15) Mary Eck  In this course, we will read and discuss literary works in which the fantastic and the magical take center stage. Readings will include short works by Garcia-Marquez, Hoffman, Kafka, and Gogol, to name a few. In addition to the stories themselves, we will also examine ways in which the socio-political, scientific, and religious forces of the time contributed to the writer's work. Class assignments will include short and long essays and oral presentations.

English 105.016 (TTh 12:00-1:15) Arnie Sanders  This section will teach research and writing as integrated parts of students' lives.  Paper topics will include researching and recommending purchase of a complex consumer product, an analytical response to short stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne, an analytical response to Casablanca and The Third Man (two famous 1940s movies), and an independent research project in a field appropriate for disciplines in which students may become majors.  Click here for last year's syllabus, which is currently being revised for Spring 2010.

English 105.017 (TTh 12:00-1:15) Michelle Tokarczyk  The Vietnam War in Literature.  At a time when the United States is fighting in two wars, it is worthwhile to look back at a war that polarized the nation and continues to have an impact on American politics.  Literary texts offer a window into the complex thoughts and emotions of combatants and others directly affected by the war.  We'll focus on Tim O'Brian's short stories in The Things They Carried, Yusef Komunyakaa's poems in Dien Cai Dau, and Maxine Hong Kingston's fiction/nonfiction hybrid The Fifth Book of Peace. Additionally, we'll examine other materials, such as newspaper articles, photographs, and interviews. Writing instruction will emphasize peer feedback, revision, argumentation, and effective use of secondary sources. 

English 105.018 (TTh 1:30-2:45) Jonathan Colson, Gothic Monsters  The first half of the course will explore various Gothic stories and conventions. In the second half of the course, we will discuss/dissect our current obsession with the living dead. From Bram Stoker's Dracula to HBO's True Blood series, we will examine what monsters/vampires do for us and what they represent. Questions for written essays and discussions include: How do monsters/ vampires serve the intersections of gender, race, culture, and sexuality? How does the vampire transform to meet the cultural needs of generations? When does the vampire become popular: at times of crisis, or peace? What do we want from horror films? The course is not for the faint of heart: reading, writing, and researching intensive. Each student will present his/her final research and final essay to the class. As with all 105 classes, the course emphasizes the study and practice of writing processes, including critical reading, collaboration, revision, and editing. We will focus on the aims, strategies, and conventions of academic prose, especially analysis and argumentation. The course will teach independent research writing, the use of scholarly sources, consistency with standard grammar, diction, and MLA style.

English 105.019 (TTh 1:30-2:45) Kate Luse  We live in a media saturated culture: in almost any place and at almost any time we can access the media. Thanks to new technologies, not only has our access to media increased, our opportunities for active participation in producing media content have as well. But do these technological developments in media production and distribution also mean that there are few, if any, spheres of our lives left free from media influence? And how does this increased exposure to media change us? How does it impact the way we think, the way we view the world, and our relationships with others?   

English 105.020 (TTh 3:00-4:15) Jonathan Colson, Gothic Monsters  The first half of the course will explore various Gothic stories and conventions. In the second half of the course, we will discuss/dissect our current obsession with the living dead. From Bram Stoker's Dracula to HBO's True Blood series, we will examine what monsters/vampires do for us and what they represent. Questions for written essays and discussions include: How do monsters/ vampires serve the intersections of gender, race, culture, and sexuality? How does the vampire transform to meet the cultural needs of generations? When does the vampire become popular: at times of crisis, or peace? What do we want from horror films? The course is not for the faint of heart: reading, writing, and researching intensive. Each student will present his/her final research and final essay to the class.  As with all 105 classes, the course emphasizes the study and practice of writing processes, including critical reading, collaboration, revision, and editing. We will focus on the aims, strategies, and conventions of academic prose, especially analysis and argumentation. The course will teach independent research writing, the use of scholarly sources, consistency with standard grammar, diction, and MLA style.

English 105.021 (TTh 3:00-4:15) Kate Luse  We live in a media saturated culture: in almost any place and at almost any time we can access the media. Thanks to new technologies, not only has our access to media increased, our opportunities for active participation in producing media content have as well. But do these technological developments in media production and distribution also mean that there are few, if any, spheres of our lives left free from media influence? And how does this increased exposure to media change us? How does it impact the way we think, the way we view the world, and our relationships with others? 

English 106.001 (MWF 9:30-10:20) Laura Orem  TBA--see instructor for further guidance.

English 106.002 (TTh 12:00-1:15) Kate Luse  Readings will include Complications by Atul Gawande, Garbage Land by Elizabeth Royte, and
Traffic by Tom Vanderbilt.  The goal of this class is to assist you in developing the skills necessary for achieving College Writing Proficiency. These skills include the ability to present a thesis and organize a supporting argument, and to set that thesis within the context of the current discussion or debate on your topic. You will also develop your research skills, learning how to find and evaluate sources, incorporate them into your own writing, and correctly use MLA citation format. And you will expand your repertoire of sentence structures and vocabulary.

English 106.003 (TTh 1:30-2:45) Jonathan Colson  The main text for this course, Rereading America, will provide a platform to examine and to write about American culture today. The reading and the writing assignments will focus on myths and assumptions that occupy the everyday. We will question ideas of education, family, success, consumerism, and gender roles as seen from within and from outside American culture. Click here for an extended description of the section.

English 106.004 (TTh 3:00-4:15) Jonathan Colson  The main text for this course, Rereading America, will provide a platform to examine and to write about American culture today. The reading and the writing assignments will focus on myths and assumptions that occupy the everyday. We will question ideas of education, family, success, consumerism, and gender roles as seen from within and from outside American culture. Click here for an extended description of the section.