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English Department

Syllabus
Maymester 2002
MTWThF 9:50-12:00
Heavilon Hall 101
Instructor: Professor Shirley Rose

Course Description:

This course examines narratives about trips by automobile in a variety of forms, including travel memoirs, novels, short stories, films, poetry, and song lyrics. The course explores issues of narrative, genre, literary traditions and conventions, themes, and motifs in road narratives.

Course Texts:
Available at Follett’s Bookstore Purdue West:
Jack Kerouac, On the Road
William Least Heat Moon, Blue Highways
Sinclair Lewis, Free Air
Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Coursepack: Available at Copy Mat in Chauncey Village
Additional Readings may be assigned

Course Work: (Follow links to Guidelines for assignments)

Daily reading assignments in preparation for participation in class discussion
In-class writing assignments and small-group collaborative learning exercises
Two Mini-presentations of background research on subjects and authors of narratives
Major analytical project (may include multimedia, multi-genre projects)
Road Trip Narrative (first-person account of a road trip taken recently)
Contribution to Class Project
Presentation of Road Trip Song

Course Grade: (Follow links to Evaluation Criteria for assignments)

20%     Daily in-class writing assignments and small-group collaborative learning exercises
20%     Mini presentations (10% each)
30%     Major analytical project
15%     Road Trip Narrative
10%     Contribution to Class Collaborative Project
5%       Road Song Selection, Introduction, and Discussion Question

Course Policies:

Attendance is required. More than 3 absences, regardless of the reason, will lower the course grade by five percentage points. In-class exercises and in-class writing assignments not completed due to absence cannot be made up. Habitual tardiness will be counted as absence from class.

Assignments must be turned in on the scheduled due date to receive full credit.

Mini-presentations must be given on the scheduled date to receive full credit.    

Course Calendar:

*Individual students who request alternative reading and/or film screening assignments for these days will be required to complete additional writing assignments and class presentations in lieu of attending class.

Partial List of Suggestions for Mini-Presentation Topics:

History and background information on development of highways in the US:
National Old Trails Road
National System of Interstate and Defense Highways
History and background information on auto-touring
History and background information on automobiles
Information on genres, traditions, and conventions of travel/journey literature:
            picaresque
            quest
            odyssey
Background information on author of narrative class is reading  
Analysis of design and format of journals and logs designed for recording travel

For additional presentation topics suggested by students, go to Student Projects page

Created by Shirley K Rose. Last updated June 8, 2002