LIT 3040:  Sport in Literature

MW 9:35-11:30

Winter 2011-2012

Tentative Course Schedule

NOTE:  This schedule may change as needed.  Your presence in class ensures correct assignments

WEEK 1WEEK 2WEEK 3WEEK 4WEEK 5WEEK 6

WEEK 7      WEEK 8WEEK 9WEEK 10      WEEK 11

Week 1

W 11/3            Introduction to the course; Review syllabus and Texts:

         Read and discuss Raymond Carver's "Little Things"; 

                        How do we read critically?

                       For Next Time:              

•               Review Fiction Terms
  

•               Read "Running" by Joyce Carol Oates, 245-251  and "Third Wind" by Richard
  

                       Matheson in Runner's Literary Companion, 237-244

                        Do Reading Journal Entry #1 by posting a 300 word response

                        to Blackboard for Oates story by class time on Monday, 12/5.  

                        What is the central conflict of this story?  How is it overcome?

•               Be prepared for Quiz:  Matheson story
  

M   12/5          Discuss Oates and Matheson; Discuss Essay 1:  Responding to  Short  Fiction

                       (Purpose,Audience, etc.); What is "sport" and what are its characteristics; What

                        is the importance of sport in culture?   What does it convey about that culture?

                  

                       For Next Time: 

•              Read  "John Sobieski Runs" by James Buelcher 207-227  and "The
  

                        Runner" by James Tabor 231-236 in Runner's Literary Companion; be

                         prepared for reading quiz

                       

Week 2

W 12/7             NO CLASS

                        For Next Time:  

•               Read "Raymond's Run, 133-139" by Toni Cade Bambara in Runner's
  

                       Companion  and Do Reading Journal Entry #2 by posting a 300 word response

                        to Blackboard by class time on Monday, 12/12.  

                        What do you see as an important theme in this story and how is that theme

                        related to one of the other stories that we have read so far?

M  12/12          Round Robin Discussion of Oates, Tabor, Buelcher, and Bambara;

                       

                       

         For Next Time: 

•              Read "What is Literary Criticism"
  

•              Begin work on First Draft of  Short Fiction Analysis ????????
  

•              Refer to Example Student Draft:  "Shameful Birthright, Predetermination,
  

                       and Free Will in William Faulkner’s 'Barn Burning'”  by Joie Tavener

•               Before reading student draft, also read "Barn Burning" by William
  

                        Faulkner

Week 3

W  12/14          Complete Invention Work for Short Fiction Analysis; Wrap-up Round Robin

                        Discussion; Discuss Hero's Journey;

                        For Next Time: 

•                Bring a copy of hero's journey handout to class on Monday, 12/19
  

•               Begin Reading The Natural, 1-35
  

•               First draft of Short Fiction Analysis due
  

•               Read Literary Criticism  Checklist
  

                       

M 12/19           First draft of Short Fiction Analysis due; Film: Invincible

                        (dir. Ericson Core, 105 min.); take notes while watching film (save for final

                       exam). Quiz:  The Natural;  briefly discuss opening pages of novel

                     

                      For Next Time:  

•               Read The Natural, 36-79
  

•             Complete typed peer critique of partner's Short Fiction Essay
  

                  

Week 4          

W 12/21           Peer Critique of Short Fiction Analysis ; Discussion of The Natural; QUIZ;

                        What is an anti-hero?

                      

                       For Next Time:  

•               Read The Natural, 80-123   
  

•               Do Reading Journal Entry #3 by posting a 300 word response
  

                        to Blackboard by class time on Monday, 1/9 : 

                        What do you see as an important theme in the novel thus far?

•               Bring copy of anti-hero handout to class on M 1/9
  

•               Final Draft of Responding to Short Fiction Essay due with reflection;
  

•               Read Literary Criticism  Checklist
  

M  1/9              Final Draft of Responding to Short Fiction Essay due with reflection;

                        Film:  Raging Bull (Martin Scorcese; 129 min.);

                       For Next Time:  

•               Read The Natural, 124-157
  

•              Review Film Terminology
  

•               Complete Reading Journal Entry #4 by posting a 300 word response to
  

                       Blackboard  to the following question by classtime on W 1/11:

                        Identify what you see as an imporant theme from Raging Bull and explain how

                        it is connected to the idea of "anti-hero."  Explain how the director emphasizes

                       this theme or idea of anti-hero through his use of film techniques.

Week 5

W 1/11              Continue discussion of The Natural; Discuss Responding to Novel Essay

        For Next Time:  

•               Complete Midterm Evaluation
  

•               Read The Natural, 158-185; Complete  Reading Journal Entry #5 by
  

                       posting a 300 word response to Blackboard  to the following question by

                       class time on W 1/18:  Identify a theme that you see emerging from this

                        particular section of the novel and connect it to events in the earlier chapters

                        of the work.

M 1/16            NO CLASS MEETING, MLK, JR. DAY

Week 6

W 1/18             Continue discussion of The Natural; 

                For Next Time:   

•               Read The Natural, 186-231;
  

•               Complete Invention work novel essay and bring to class with first draft.
  

•               Read "What is Literary Criticism"
  

•               First Draft of   Responding to Novel essay due
  

•               Read Literary Criticism  Checklist
  

M 1/23            First Draft of Responding to Novel Essay due; Exchange for Peer

                        Critique; Complete Discussion of The Natural

                        For Next Time: 

•               Complete typed peer critique of partner's paper on The
  

                        Natural

•               Complete Reading Journal Entry #6 by posting a 300 word response to                     Blackboard  to the following question by class time on W 1/25:
  

                        Identify a theme that you see emerging from this section of The Natural and

                        explain why you think it is an important idea in the novel thus far.  Connect it to

                        the events in the earlier chapters of the work.

                       

Week 7                      

W 1/25            Peer Critique; Gender and Sport and Discuss Responding to Poetry;

                        Conventions of Poetry

               For Next Time:  

•               Final  Draft of Responding to Novel Essay due with reflection
  

•               Read Literary Criticism  Checklist
  

•               Read "The Interpretation of Baseball," 162-163 & "The Dancer," 81-84 in
  

                        Crossing Boundries

          

M 1/30            Final  Draft of Responding to Novel Essay due with reflection; Discuss poems

                       

                For Next Time:

•               Select two poems from Crossing Boundries; be prepared to discuss
  

•               Do Reading Journal Entry #7:   In a  posting of a min. of 300 words                           explain the thematic similarities/differences of two poems of your choice from
  

                       Crossing Boundries.  This must be posted to Blackboard by class time on W

                       2/1

                  

Week 8                     

W 2/1              Introduce Responding to Poetry essay; Discuss poems

                        For Next Time: 

•               Choose two poems from Crossing Boundries that you like and be                                prepared to  discuss
  

•               Do Reading Journal Entry #8 by posting a 300 word response to                                Blackboard to the following question by class time on M 2/6:  explain the
  

                        thematic similarities/differences of the two  poems you chose.                         

•               For Your Reference:  Student Draft:  "Trying to erase the past in Yusef
  

                        Komunyakaa’s 'Facing It'” by Carol Miller

•              For Your Reference: "Facing It" by Yusef Komunyakaa
  

M 2/6             Discuss poems

                       For Next Time : 

•              Read "Approaching Poetry Essay"
  

•               1st draft of Poetry Essay due;  
  

•               Review Film Terminology
  

Week 9

W 2/8               1st draft of Poetry Essay due; exchange for critique; Film:  Million Dollar Baby

                       For Next Time: 

•              Typed peer critique of partner's poetry paper due back
  

•              Complete Reading Journal Entry #9:  What do you see as an important
  

                       theme in Million Dollar Baby?  How is this theme emphasized through the

                       specific techniques incorporated by the director (Clint Eastwood).Your post

                       should be a min. of 300 words and posted to Blackboard by class time on M 2/13

•               Begin Reading Fences, 1--40
  

                        

                       

M 2/13            Complete Film; Peer Critique, Poetry Essay; Begin discussion of drama

                       and Fences; Race and Sport  (Dramatic Reading of a Scene in Class)

                       For Next Time:  

•               Final Draft of Poetry Paper Due with reflection
  

•               Read Fences, 41-72
  

Week 10

W 2/15            Final Draft of Poetry Paper Due with reflection; Continue discussion of Fences

         For Next Time: 

•               Read Fences, 73-101
  

•              Read "On Watching a World  Series Game" by Sonia Sanchez, pp. 39-40 in
  

                       Crossing Boundries

•               Do Reading Journal Entry #10; your response should be a min. of 300
  

                       words and must be posted to Blackboard by class time on M 2/20: How does

                       Sanchez's poem connect to a merging theme in Fences?

    

                       

M 2/20            Review for Final Exam; Complete discussion of Fences

                        For Next Time: 

•              Work on Final Exam
  

•               For Your Reference:  "A Link in the Chain: Dreams and Aspirations in A
  

                        Raisin in the Sun"              

         

       

Week 11 

W 2/22            Final Exam take home essay due;  Complete reflective essay in class.