Eng. 210 Literature and the Arts: Medieval AfterlivesCourse Syllabus

Instructor: Melissa “Melle” Ridley Elmes Office: MHRA 3112 GM/W/F 1:00-1:50 p.m. Office Hours: M 10:00 -11:55 (and by

appointment)Building/Room: MHRA2209 Email: maelmes@uncg.edu

Mailbox: 3117 MHRA

Course Description: The first half of this course will consider the medieval origins and popular afterlives of major British cultural figures—Beowulf, Geoffrey Chaucer, King Arthur, Lancelot, and Guinevere, Robin Hood, and Joan of Arc. The second half of the course will focus on the medievalism of J.R.R. Tolkien’s middle-Earth fantasy books (we will read The Hobbit in class; students will be expected to have read and/or watched The Lord of the Rings prior to taking this course, or to do so on their own time). The whole of the course will consider how the modern world has re-imagined the medieval period through stories and poetry, graphic novels and comics, art, opera, symphonic metal, video games, television, and film. By the end of the term, students will have foundational knowledge of the medieval literature and culture of Northern Europe and a broad understanding of the continued influence of the medieval period on modern pop culture.

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs): Upon successful completion of this course, the student will:

1. Demonstrate the reading skill required for the student of literary texts. (LG3)2. Identify and/or describe some of the varied characteristics of literary texts. (LG3)

3. Demonstrate orally, in writing, or by some other means, a fundamental ability to use some

of the techniques and/or methods of literary analysis. (LG 1 and LG 3)4. Identify and/or describe some of the various social, historical, cultural, and/or theoretical

contexts in which literary texts have been written and interpreted. (LG3)

Those SLOs labeled (LG3) relate to UNCG’s Learning Goal #3 for General Education, which says students will “Describe, interpret, and evaluate the ideas, events, and expressive traditions that have shaped collective and individual human experience through inquiry and analysis in the diverse disciplines of the humanities, religions, languages, histories, and the arts.” (http://uncg.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2015-2016/Undergraduate-Bulletin/University-Requirements/General-Education-Program).

Those SLOs labeled (LG1) relate to UNCG’s Learning Goal #1 for General Education. This is the ability to “think critically, communicate effectively, and develop appropriate fundamental skills in quantitative and information literacies.” (http://uncg.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2015-2016/Undergraduate-Bulletin/University-Requirements/General-Education-Program).

Required Texts

The following texts must be purchased and are available at the University Bookstore:

Jesse L. Byock, trans. Saga of the Volsungs, ISBN 978-0140447385

William Shakespeare, Henry VI Part I, ISBN 978-0671722661

William Shakespeare, Two Noble Kinsmen, ISBN 978-0671722968

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, ISBN 978-0547928227

The following text is required, but not available at the University Bookstore. You may purchase it from a variety of online sources (Amazon, Ebay, and similar). There will be a copy of this book on two-hour course reserve at Jackson Library:

Turgon (David E. Smith), The Tolkien Fan’s Medieval Reader, ISBN 978-1593600112

Other texts will be available on Canvas and should be printed out and brought to class on the dates on which we are discussing them.

If you do not have the funds to print out the assigned readings, you may bring an electronic device on which you can pull up and read the documents to class, but if you abuse this privilege by surfing the Internet, texting, using Facebook or other social media platforms, or similar, your class participation grade will be penalized and I may ask you to leave class for the day, which

will be counted as an absence. Multiple such infractions will result in an Academic Honor Violation.

Other materials: Please bring paper, pen and/or pencil, highlighter, your textbooks, written assignments, and print outs of assigned readings posted to Canvas with you to each class session. Failure to come to class prepared with these materials will result in the loss of participation points. Multiple infractions concerning your preparedness for class will result in your being asked to leave and counted absent for the day.

Grading : My grading system is in keeping with university grading policies. UNCG defines an A as excellent; a B as good; a C as average; a D as lowest passing grade; and an F as failure. In adherence to this scale, you should understand that a C means you successfully met the requirements of the course, not that you did poorly, which would be indicated by either a D or an F. Likewise, an A or B indicate that you met and exceeded course requirements. A basic standards sheet is included at the end of this syllabus for your general awareness. Corresponding rubrics will accompany all formal (graded) assignments.Your final course grade is calculated as follows:

Internet Scavenger Hunt 15%Twitter and Canvas posts 15%Student-led discussion 15%Group project 15%Critical Examination 1 15%Critical Examination 2 15%Final examination 10%

Explanation of Grading Categories

Internet Scavenger Hunt: 15% of your final course grade

The purpose of this assignment is to make you aware of the widespread reach and presence of medieval subjects and figures in the modern world, to give you experience using the Internet as a research tool, to give you a basic understanding of the scholarly and popular sources available to you in your own research, and to provide you with a broad range of potential research topics. You will use various websites to locate 25 items related to the figures and topics of the course, and from there compile an annotated bibliography of materials you might be able to use for other course assignments throughout the term. (SLO 1, 2, 4)

Twitter and Canvas Posts: 15% of your final course grade.

This class is predicated on the notion that in order to become better readers and writers, students must read, think and write about what they read, and discuss and analyze texts both individually and in the company of others. As such, while there will be some lecturing, the majority of class time will be spent actively engaged in these activities, and all students are required to participate both in individual and group endeavors. Beyond class discussions, students are expected to take part in our discourse community through ongoing, online discussions throughout the term. It is necessary to participate actively both in class and online in order to meet the stated student learning outcomes for the course. Our online platforms are Twitter and Canvas.

Twitter Discussions: You will create a new Twitter account for the course; your account handle should be linked to your university email: @uncg.edu. This will permit those of you already on Twitter to maintain your class work separately from your personal accounts. When you have created your account, Tweet to me @MRidleyElmes, and then follow me. I will compile a list of your handles and post this to Canvas so you have it handy. The course hashtag is #MedAft. Each text has its own hashtag; these are listed in the course schedule. To receive credit for a Tweet, you have to use both the course hashtag and the text hashtag! No hashtags, no credit. You are then responsible for the following Tweets EACH WEEK:

Two (2) comments and/or questions about the texts we are reading

Four (4) responses to classmates’ TweetsThree (3) WILDCARD Tweets—these can be anything related to the course materials. At least one should be of an image, meme, illustration, film/TV still, or some other visual or performance-based representation of the week’s texts.

Obviously, you are not limited to only producing these tweets—if you have more to contribute, by all means do so! All tweets for the week must be completed by 5 p.m. Saturday SLO 1, 2, 3, & 4)

Canvas Discussions: Canvas discussions are a required component of this course. Every week after class on Wednesday a discussion question or assignment germane to the topics being covered that week will be posted to the Canvas discussion board. You are required to respond to this question or complete the assignment by 5 p.m. Thursday, and then to have responded to and/or elaborated on the postings of three (3) of your classmates by 5 p.m. Saturday. To get full credit for them, be sure your postings are meaningful and consist of more than simple agree/disagree statements or superficial comments. You should aim for 4-6 well-crafted sentences in each post. (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4)

Student-led discussion: 15% of your final grade in the course. Up to 4 students will take part in each class discussion day as discussion leaders for 10 minute segments. On the day for which you sign up, you should come to class prepared with four questions or observations designed to generate discussion. At least one of these questions or observations must seek to tie the readings into some art form, which you should share with the class. I encourage you to come see me during my office hours prior to leading class discussion to go over your questions if you are concerned as to whether or not they will meet expectations. (SLO 2, 3, 4)

Group Project: 15% of your final course grade. Each group will choose a specific medieval figure or topic and research its presence in today’s culture, then give an oral presentation presenting the results of your research. Refer to assignment sheet for further details. (SLO 1, 2, 4)

Critical Examination 1: 3-5 pages, 15% of your final course grade Subject: A Medieval Figure in Art. Refer to assignment sheet for further details. (SLO 1 & 4)

Critical Examination 2: 3-5 pages, 15% of your final grade. Subject: A Medieval Figure or Text on Film. Refer to assignment sheet for further details. (SLO 1, 2 & 4)

Final Examination: 10% of your final course grade (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4)

Policies

My basic expectation of you as university students is that you will be in class on time and prepared, that you will participate actively, that you will conduct yourselves responsibly and with respect for everyone in class, and that you will give me your best effort. Beyond that:

Academic Integrity: “Academic integrity is founded upon and encompasses the following five values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. Violations include, for example, cheating, plagiarism, misuse of academic resources, falsification, and facilitating academic dishonesty. If knowledge is to be gained and properly evaluated, it must be pursued under conditions free from dishonesty. Deceit and misrepresentations are incompatible with the fundamental activity of this academic institution and shall not be tolerated” (from UNCG’s Academic Integrity Policy). Please review the guidelines and list of violations of academic integrity at http://sa.uncg.edu/dean/academic-integrity

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the most common violation of academic integrity. In its most blatant form, you are plagiarizing when you download a paper off of the Internet, turn in a paper someone else wrote for another class, or have

someone else write your essays for you. You are also plagiarizing when you engage in verbatim copying OR paraphrasing from a source without proper acknowledgement. Please familiarize yourself with the university policies on plagiarism: http://sa.uncg.edu/dean/academic-integrity/violation/plagiarism. I will be going over proper techniques for citing and documenting sources, you have access to the MLA handbook and your textbook for examples, and you can also look up proper citation on the Internet – there is simply no excuse for plagiarism at the college level. It is better to err on the side of over-documenting; when in doubt, ask!

All papers for this class are to follow the MLA citation guidelines and format.

In my course, a first violation of the academic integrity and/or plagiarism policies as laid forth by the University will result in a grade of “F” on the assignment in question, while two violations will constitute automatic failure of the class.Accommodations: Students with documentation of special needs should see me about accommodations as soon as possible. If you believe you could benefit from such accommodations, you must first register with the Office of Accessibility Resources and Services on campus before such accommodations can be made. The office is located on the second floor of the Elliott University Center (EUC) in Suite 215, and the office is open 8am to 5pm, Monday - Friday. Telephone: 334-5440; e-mail: oars@uncg.edu.

Attendance: Class attendance is mandatory, and I do not differentiate between excused and unexcused absences. Because “life happens,” you are permitted four (4) absences with no penalty. Subsequent absences will each result in a half-letter grade deduction from your final grade, while 8 absences will result in a non-negotiable failure of the course for the term. This attendance policy extends through the final exam period. Student athletes are not exempt from the attendance policy; if you are an athlete, you are strongly encouraged to check your schedule to determine whether there will be too many conflicts to support your continued enrollment in this section.

If you have extenuating circumstances such as a death in the family, chronic illness/injury requiring prolonged medical treatment, prolonged psychological issues, etc., then you should immediately contact the Dean of Students Office for advocacy (http://sa.uncg.edu/dean/). You can use that department email, (deanofstudents@uncg.edu) and provide your name, your UNCG ID number, a telephone number that you can be reached, and a general description of why you would like to meet with a staff member. If your situation is urgent, you may opt for a walk-in appointment (Monday – Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm), and the staff will connect you with the

appropriate person as soon as possible. The Dean of Students office is located on the second floor of the Elliott University Center (EUC).

This attendance policy does not differentiate between “excused” and “unexcused” absences; thus, it is the student’s responsibility to plan for absences within the policy concerning program fieldtrips, athletic events, work-related absences, advising sessions, minor illnesses, family and/or friend events, etc. When absent, you are responsible for all materials missed and for turning in any due assignments before you miss class. ALWAYS check blackboard for updates on assignments and due dates when you are absent from class.

Tardiness: I take attendance at the beginning of class, and we will not delay planned activities for latecomers. If you are tardy to class you run the risk of being counted absent for the day. Three tardies constitute an absence. Anything you miss as a result of being tardy cannot be made up and will count against your grade. Leaving early without prior agreement will be marked as an absence as well, and anything you miss as a result of leaving class early also cannot be made up.

Religious Observances: You are by state law allowed two excused absences due to religious holidays. These absences do not count toward the total maximum allowed above. If you plan to miss class due to a religious holiday, you must notify me by email at least 48 hours prior to the absence. You are still responsible for all of the materials you miss and for turning in due assignments before missing class. See the University policy for further details: http://uncg.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2014-2015/Undergraduate-Bulletin/Academic-Regulations-Policies/Class-Attendance/Religious-Observance

Electronic Devices: This is not a technology course. Laptops, cell phones, Ipads, Ipods, MP3 players – whatever electronic devices you possess, don’t bring them to class unless you have cleared it with me first. If you do bring them to class, don’t turn them on unless we have made arrangements for you to use your device for reading purposes. Unless we have discussed the matter and I have given you permission to do otherwise, print out hard copies of reading assignments and essay drafts to bring to class with you. In-class writings will be done by hand unless you have a registered disability requiring you to use a laptop. Students who willfully choose to ignore this policy will be called out publicly for disrupting the class and lose class participation points; repeat offenders will be asked to leave and counted as absent.

Assignments and Due Dates: Assignments are due on or before their due date, regardless of circumstances. Technological problems, malfunctions, or misunderstandings, are not grounds for excuse or exemption from this

policy. If you are absent the day an assignment is due, you must have it in to me before or on that day and by our normal meeting time or it will not be counted. If you are in class the day an assignment is due, it is due at the beginning of class. I do not accept late work. Assignments may be handed in early. If you are struggling, come see me before, not after, an assignment is due.

Discussing/Disputing a Grade: You are required to wait 24 hours from the time you receive a graded paper before discussing it with me. I will not discuss your grades during class time or in front of other students. If you have questions or concerns about your performance in the class, please stop by during my office hours or make an appointment to see me individually.

Need More Help? The University Writing Center, located in MHRA room 3211, is a resource funded by your university activity fee and available to all UNCG students. Bring your writing assignment at any stage of its completion, paper, and pen or pencil, and a staff member will hold a one-on-one consultation with you to help you develop your work. No appointment is necessary; the writing center works on a first-come, first-serve basis. For assignments five pages or fewer in length, you can also use the online writing center by messaging uncgaskthewc@gmail.com through your iSpartan account.

Writing Center Hours: M-R 9am – 8pm, Friday 9am – 3pm, Sunday 5pm – 8pmAdditionally, the Learning Assistance Center is located in McIver Hall, rooms 101-104, and 150. Telephone: 334-3878. E-mail: lac@uncg.edu.

Contacting Me: My campus mailbox is located in the English department Graduate TA lounge. Aside from my regular office hours or setting up an appointment, the best way to reach me is by email: maelmes@uncg.edu. You may also tweet your questions to @MRidleyElmes, although these tweets do not count towards your weekly quota. It is reasonable to expect a response within 24 hours; if you do not hear back from me after 24 hours have passed, please re-send the message. For all communication related to this course, please do me the courtesy of putting your last name and FMS 120 in the subject line, so I know what this is in reference to; using your UNCG email account will best prevent me from accidentally deleting your message in the mistaken belief that anything from Lovethebruins@hotmail.com must be spam.

In any situation not expressly covered in this syllabus my word… is the last word.

Course Schedule

Please note that every effort will be made to adhere to the schedule as presented here. In the instance that the schedule must be altered you will be verbally informed in class

(when possible) and an announcement will be posted on Canvas. Any changes are intended to benefit or accommodate students, i.e. I will not move the due date of an assignment up or

add more reading, but I may move a due date back or drop a reading. It is your responsibility to keep up with any changes made to the syllabus.

Major assignments/important dates are highlighted in Bold Print

Text locations: [C] = Canvas; [TR] = Tolkien Reader

Week One (August 17-21): Course Introduction and syllabus; Anglo-Saxon Literature--Beowulf (#BWulf) and The Battle of Maldon (#BofMal); Eco, “Dreaming the Middle Ages” (#10LMA)

M 17 Introductory lecture; go over syllabus

W 19 Beowulf [TR]

F 21 Beowulf; The Battle of Maldon [TR]

Weekly Tweets and Canvas posts due by Saturday at 5:00 p.m.

Week Two (August 24-28): Vikings and Old Norse Icelandic Literature—Prose Edda (#PE) and Saga of the Volsungs (#SoftheV); Simmons, “Medievalism and the Quest for the Real Middle Ages” (#QRMA)

M 24 Prose Edda [TR]

W 26 Saga of the Volsungs

F 28 Saga of the Volsungs; student-led discussions

Weekly Tweets and Canvas posts due by Saturday at 5:00 p.m.

Week Three (August 31-Sept. 2): The Arthurian Legend—Historia Regum Britanniae excerpts (#HRB); The Birth of Merlin (#BofMer); Thompson, “Conceptions of King Arthur in the Twentieth Century” (#ConKA); Miller, “Cinemagicians” (#CineMag) [Pugh & Weisl ch. 7 “Medievalism in Music and the Arts” (#MusArt)]

M 31 Historia Regum Britanniae (feast and battle scenes) [C]

W 2 INTERNET SCAVENGER HUNT AND ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE; Birth of Merlin [C]

F 4 student-led discussions

Weekly Tweets and Canvas posts due by Saturday at 5:00 p.m.

Week Four (Sept. 7-11): The Arthurian Legend—Chrétien de Troyes, Knight of the Cart(#KOTC); Pugh & Weisl ch. 5, “King Arthur’s and Robin Hood’s Adventures in Medievalism” (#KARH)

M 7 NO CLASS-LABOR DAY

W 9 The Knight of the Cart [C]

F 11 student-led discussions

Weekly Tweets and Canvas posts due by Saturday at 5:00 p.m.

Week Five (Sept. 14-18): The Arthurian Legend—Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (SGGK), excerpts, Sir Thomas Malory’s Morte Darthur (#MDA)

M 14 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight [TR]

W 16 Morte Darthur [C]

F 18 student-led discussions; CRITICAL EXAMINATION 1 DUE

Weekly Tweets and Canvas posts due by Saturday at 5:00 p.m.

Week Six (Sept. 21-25): Robin Hood—Robin Hood and the Monk (#RH&them) and Robin Hood and the Potter (#RH&theP); Pollard Ch. 8, “History and Memory” (#Hist&Mem)

M 21 Robin Hood and the Monk [C]

W 23 Robin Hood and the Potter [C]

F 25 student-led discussions

Weekly Tweets and Canvas posts due by Saturday at 5:00 p.m.

Week Seven (Sept. 28-Oct. 2): Robin Hood—The Geste of Robin Hood (#GofRH); Pollard Ch. 9, “Farewell to Merry England” (#FME)

M 28 Geste of Robin Hood [C]

W 30 Geste of Robin Hood

F 2 student-led discussions

Weekly Tweets and Canvas posts due by Saturday at 5:00 p.m.

Week Eight (Oct. 5-9): Joan of Arc—The Mission of Joan of Arc (#MofJA) and Trial Transcripts (#JATT)

M 5 The Misson of Joan of Arc [C]

W 7 Trial Transcripts: Introduction; First, Second, and Sixth Public examinations; First, Second and Third, and Eighth and Ninth Private Examinations; Joan is Interrogated on Submission of Twelve Articles; Deliberations, Final Session, Sent4ence, and Recantation; and Second

Process, the Relapse, Adjudication, and Death Sentence (online: http://www.stjoan-center.com/Trials/)

F 9 student-led discussions

Weekly Tweets and Canvas posts due by Saturday at 5:00 p.m.

Week Nine (Oct. 12-16): Joan of Arc—Henry VI, Part I (#H6Pt1); Pugh & Weisl ch. 3 “Literary Medievalisms” (#LiMe)

M 12 NO CLASS—FALL BREAK

W 14 Henry VI Part 1

F 16 student-led discussions

Weekly Tweets and Canvas posts due by Saturday at 5:00 p.m.

Week Ten (Oct. 19-23): Joan of Arc—Henry VI Part 1; [Pugh & Weisl, Ch. 6 “Movie Medievalisms” (#MoMe)]

M 19 Henry VI Part 1

W 21 NO CLASS—INSTRUCTOR AT CONFERENCE (you should use this time to work on The Knight’s Tale reading, which is in Middle English.)

F 23 NO CLASS—INSTRUCTOR AT CONFERENCE (you should use this time to work on The Knight’s Tale reading, which is in Middle English.)

Weekly Tweets and Canvas posts due by Saturday at 5:00 p.m.

Week Eleven (Oct. 26-30: Geoffrey Chaucer, The Knight’s Tale (#KT); Shakespeare, Two Noble Kinsmen (#2NK)

M 26 The Knight’s Tale [C]

W 28 The Knight’s Tale; Two Noble Kinsmen

F 30 student-led discussions

Weekly Tweets and Canvas posts due by Saturday at 5:00 p.m.

Week Twelve (November 2-6): Shakespeare, Two Noble Kinsmen (#2NK)

M 2 Two Noble Kinsmen

W 4 Two Noble Kinsmen

F 6 student-led discussions; CRITICAL EXAMINATION 2 DUE

Weekly Tweets and Canvas posts due by Saturday at 5:00 p.m.

Week Thirteen (November 9-13): J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit (#Hob); Pugh & Weisl ch. 4 “’Medieval’ Literature for Children and Young Adults” (#ChYA)

M 9 The Hobbit

W 11 The Hobbit

F 13 student-led discussions

Weekly Tweets and Canvas posts due by Saturday at 5:00 p.m.

Week Fourteen (November 16-20): J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit; Pugh & Weisl, “Experiential Medievalisms” (#ExMed); Group Presentations

M 16 The Hobbit: Lord Of The Rings online

W 18 Group Presentations

F 21 Group Presentations

Weekly Tweets and Canvas posts due by Saturday at 5:00 p.m.

Week Fifteen (November 23-27): Group Presentations

M 23 Group Presentations

W 25 NO CLASS—THANKSGIVING BREAK

F 27 NO CLASS—THANKSGIVING BREAK

No Canvas posts or Tweets this week.

Week Sixteen (Nov. 30-Dec. 4): Course Evaluations; Exam Review; Final Examination

M 30 Course Evaluations; Exam Review

W 2 FINAL EXAMINATION, 3:30-6:30 p.m.

No Canvas posts or Tweets this week.

Grading StandardsIn general, everything being graded in this course, from your performance in class writings

and discussion to your formal essays, is being considered against the following basic rubric:A

SuperiorB

GoodC

AverageD

LimitedF

WeakClearly exceeds expectations

Exceeds/attempts more or

less successfully to go beyond basic

expectations

Meets basic expectations

Falls short of basic expectations

Does not meet expectations

Demonstrates mastery of the skill

Demonstrates emerging mastery of

the skill

Demonstrates competence in the

skill

Demonstrates developing

competence in the skill

Does not demonstrate evidence of competence

Polished; very few errors or lapses

in grammar, vocabulary, or

syntax

Polished; minor errors in word

choice, grammar or syntax

Sufficient; several errors in

word choice, grammar or syntax that do not interfere

with overall coherence

Deficient; errors in vocabulary,

grammar, or syntax are of such extent that they interfere

with overall coherence

Severely deficient; errors in

vocabulary, grammar and syntax

preclude comprehension

Words you might associate with each letter grade:A – superior, demonstrates mastery, skillful and facile use of language and the writing process,

polished, coherent, consistent, complex, sophisticated, fluentB – competent, very good, strong, emerging skillfulness, few errors, demonstrates clear

understandingC – average, adequate, meets expectations, completes assignment, sufficient, generally fine, meets

minimum standards, room for improvementD - below average, weak, insufficient, needs improvement, incomplete, lacking in some essential or

major way, does not demonstrate understanding or demonstrates flawed understandingF – no evidence of understanding or effort, very weak, inconsistent, severely flawed, severely

lacking, not done, does not have a clear point or purpose, plagiarized(in the case of an essay.