African American Literature I—Eng 253-55
Text:  The Norton Anthology of African American Literature (Gates, et al—2004)
Instructor:  Tondalaya VanLear
Office:  Warren Hall, Room 413  Ph:  540.863.2854
email:  tvanlear@dslcc.edu
Web-Based Independent Study 

Welcome to this survey course in African American Literature.  As a web-based class, this course depends upon each student’s attention to timely reading and response.  We will be exploring this diverse genre by examining primary works, their historical context, and their modern impact.  I encourage you to react to the assigned readings, seek out other responses/criticisms, and expect to gain a close perspective.  African American literature offers a complex, captivating, and paradoxical view of life.  Enjoy the read and the venture! 

**Please note:  If you have not attended the on-campus orientation for this class, YOU MUST complete the online orientation guide, found under Bb Course Documents, by Wednesday of the first week of classes.  Late completion will result in a grade penalty.  Participation in orientation, either on campus or online, is not an option.  

Course Description:  This web-based, interactive course offers the student an introduction to African American writings from early American settlement through Reconstruction. This timeframe allows for flexible choices in the readings as we use the text, The Norton Anthology of African American Literature, to guide our experience. We will explore the impacts of environment, event, and perspective and supplement these readings with other works, both written and visual.

Course Requirements:  The student will share responses to assignments, posted weekly on the course homepage, through a series of writings/reactions, which include:

**Journals posted on the Discussion Board of the Blackboard (Bb) component for this course.

**Response writings and/or other writings, noted on the homepage under “Writings,” submitted via Digital Drop in Bb.

**Other writing assignments for article and image evaluations or website evaluation.

**Two Exams, completed at the DSLCC LRC, with test dates posted on the homepage.  No make-up exams will be given.

**A final course research writing project, with subject/focus selected by the student and incorporating an in-depth look at a specific aspect of African American works.  The student may choose, for example, to examine the course of a particular author offered in the text or explore an aspect of the writings from a specific timeframe.  The student will submit an informal proposal for this project and the choice of direction must be approved by the instructor.  The final work must include evidence of research (via scholarly sources--minimum of 5) and response, submitted in MLA format with proper documentation, and be at least 8 pages in length.

**Participation in all aspects of the course is not an option.  Your participation grade depends on your timely submission of work.  If your writings or journal assignments are late, they will be accessed a late penalty (1 letter grade per day of late submission)—this penalty applies to any and all works not submitted at the due date/time, regardless of the student’s reason for late submission.  If the Bb system of the VCCS is experiencing problems, due dates will be amended to the following day at the same time to compensate for any down time created that interferes with assignment/journal/essay/exam due dates.  The instructor is immediately notified of any system problems and will make the changes known via Bb announcement.

** All assigned writings, essays, exams, journals, or other assignments must be completed for the student to successfully complete the course.   If any assignment is not completed and submitted as noted on the assignment folders, that lack is grounds for failure in the course.

**Please note:  Plagiarism (literary theft) is not tolerated either by this college or by me.  Any student turning in work not her/his own will receive an F in this course, regardless of that student’s grades at that point, the source misused, or the reason for that misuse.

Grading:                          

3.6-4.0   =A
3.0-3.5   =B
2.0-2.9   =C
1.0-1.9   =D
0.0-0.9   =F

Final Evaluation:

Response Essays                     =35%
Project Essay                         =20%
Journals/Other Writings          =20%
Exams                                   =15%
Participation                         =10%