ENGL-260 - American Literature I - Adam Kaiserman
| Course: | American Literature I |
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| Professor: | Adam Kaiserman |
| Email: | adam.kaiserman@canyons.edu |
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Introduction
Welcome to English 260: American Literature I. My name is Adam Kaiserman and I am Professor of English at College of the Canyons as well as the chair of our Humanities Program. In ENGL 260, we will be exploring the origins of American literature up through the Civil War. My goal in this class is to read these works both in their historical context but also as guides to our present. What that means is understanding how the social and cultural forces surrounding these texts influenced their production, but also how these texts influenced the world around them. I am also interested in what these texts can mean for us today. For instance, when we read Frederick Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself, I want understand not just how antebellum slavery shaped the text, but how Douglass’s first autobiography might also be relevant in light of #BlackLivesMatter. Similarly, when we read an excerpt from Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, we will want to think about first wave feminism, but also contemporary fights for gender equality. My hope in this class is that early American literature will not only seem relevant to your life today but that you will see yourself in the tableaux of early American literature.
Course Description
English 260 surveys the major movements and genres of American literature from its beginnings through the Civil War.
What to Expect in this Course
- Canvas modules follow a week by week organization with discussion boards based on the reading.
- Generally, each assigned reading will have a discussion board question due on Thursday and you will be expected to respond to two of your classmates by the close of Sunday. You can expect four reading assignments per week.
- There will be a three major papers.
- One class presentation
- There will be low-stakes weekly quizzes.
Types of Assessments
3 papers Weekly quizzes 1 online class presentation
Textbook Information / Link to ZTC Textbook
Norton Anthology of American Literature Beginnings to 1865 vol. 1, shorter 9th edition (ISBN 9780393264524).
The Norton is critical to your success.
Additional Resources
Canvas
This course can be accessed on the first day of class via Canvas at https://coc.instructure.com. Log into Canvas using your CanyonsID single sign-on:
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- CanyonsID Password is your COC student email password
Please visit the Get to Know Your Online Classroom page for help logging into Canvas and for tips on using Canvas and Zoom. Canvas Chat Support is also available 24/7 for any Canvas related issues.
Online Education
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Online Counseling
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Library
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Last updated: 10/08/2021 Sub#: 858