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2220 Course Outline
2220 Course Outline
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The backbone of this class will be readings from ancient Greek
literature. Students will learn about the historical, geographical, philosophical &
literary contexts in which the literature was created & will complete various formal
and informal writing assignments that synthesize, analyse & persuade.
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION Whos teaching this class and how do I get in touch with her?
Instructor: L. Ellison
Email: ellisonl15@ecu.edu
Office phone: 252-328-2617
Office: Austin 313
Office hours: TBA. You do not need an appointment to see me during posted office hours.
I will send out a Blackboard announcement/email should I need to cancel my office hours.
REQUIRED MATERIALS
A composition book
Aristotle On Poetry & Style, trans. G.M.A. Grube. Hackett, 1989. ($10 new)
Athenian Funeral Orations, trans. Judson Herrman. Focus Philosophical
(Hackett), 2004. ($13.95 new)
Sophocles Oedipus the King, trans. Ian Johnston. Richer Resources, 2012. Read it
free online, buy the published book ($8.95 new) or the kindle ebook ($2.99)
Euripides Medea, trans. Diane Arnson Svarlien. Focus (Hackett), 2008. ($9 new,
$5.99 kindle ebook).
STUDENT EXPECTATIONS
Attend class daily.
Keep current on composition book notes on readings.
o Be prepared to engage in class/group discussion or activities with the
current texts, assigned work & composition book.
Check Blackboard & email regularly.
Communicate with Prof. Ellison when you have questions or concerns.
Participate in class & group discussions.
close reading, synthesis, analysis;
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS formal style
2-3 single-spaced page papers (3)
persuasive blog posts (3) critical/creative thinking, argumentation;
6-9 single-spaced page paper (1) casual style
GRADING
Badges [Create clear criteria for badges & a clear scheme for how they translate to grades at the end of the semester.
Perhaps involve students in this. This may serve to help them get a better sense of whats important in the class than they get
from just looking at a list of were their points come from. Im dissatisfied with the variety of ways Ive tried grading, whether
because Ive not set up the system well, or because its just not a good match for my teaching style. What I think would be most
appropriate is a system that allows me to track the growth in the students abilities, and then somehow quantify it. The
students should be a major part of this process doing their own tracking (self-assessments). Just a matter of asking them the
right questions.]
SKETCH OF SEMESTER
Writings
Readings
Formal Casual
Homers Iliad,
Part 1: bks 1-3 (on Bb) What do we know
about Helen from
On Herodotus Homer? What do
What do you think about the
Helen Histories, from Gorgias & Herodotus
Helen question? Why?
bk. 2 (on Bb) have to say about her?
What is their
Gorgias Helen evidence?
(on Bb)
Sophocles
Choose a Greek
Oedipus Did Aristotle get it right?
Tragedy (choose an
unassigned one for Consider societal & cultural
Part 2: Euripides differences. Is Aristotle like us?
greater challenge!)
Tragedy Medea
and analyze it
What similarities do we have to the
Ancient Greeks? What is mutually
according to important to us as humans?
Aristotles
Aristotles Poetics.
Poetics
Athenian Choose an oration What is nationalism? Is there
Funeral (choose an a place for it? When/where?
Part 3: Orations unassigned one for Discuss ancient Greece in
National greater challenge!) your evidence. (You are not
Identity from and analyse it limited to Ancient Greece for
Aristotles according to examples, but mention it a
Rhetoric Aristotles Rhetoric. couple of times.)
An ancient
tragedy (your
choice)
Does tragedy still exist? Would Aristotle recognize it?
Term Aristotles
paper, Poetics Other topics are permitted, but must be approved in
with draft & advance.
peer review a modern
movie, 6-9 pages, single-spaced
television
show, book,
etc.
CLAS2220 | F18 | MWF 2-2:50 | Rawl 307
Groups of 3-4 will be assigned early in the semester. Youll get to know your group
members by working with them in class & they will be your peer review group. They
will become familiar with your writing & you theirs; you will provide feedback for each
other on your experiences as readers of each others writing [now go back and read that
again, but more slowly this time].
You are expected to make a meaningful comment on each of your group members
persuasive blog posts, and at least three blog posts throughout the semester from
people outside your group.
Work submitted late for no good reason will receive a [make correspond to
grading system] penalty.
Commuters: your safety is more important to me than your coming to class. Please send
me an email if conditions are unsafe.
CLAS2220 | F18 | MWF 2-2:50 | Rawl 307
If campus is closed, alternatives to class may be offered online; check your email for
announcements about class.