I had already been working on adding more “relevance” to the course. My project for this course is, at least right now, focused on making the play Everyman more accessible to my students by introducing the concept through modern film (thanks, Joe) with a clip from Forrest Gump and modern music, including “For Everyman” by Jackson Browne and “Every Man” by Casting Crowns.

I also want to place more of an emphasis on the theme of the work, having to meet Death unexpectedly.

In order to do all this in the course, though, I am going to have to leave some things out.

That’s going to be hard. I’ve already pared the course down as far as I can stand (”and I can’t stands no more”- Popeye), but to integrate the old literature with modern life, I am going to have to either drop out some of the old or give more at-home readings. And I have found those to be very difficult to get students to actually do… Also, as a historicist, I think that the works are “better” and more easily understood, if background information is provided before and during the reading. That doesn’t happen at home for the students.

(I wonder if this is a possibility of something to do. Create an interactive text where the asides that I would say in class are available in the text… Maybe. I’ve done my own translation of Beowulf from the Old English, though it is nowhere near as good as Seamus Heaney’s amazingly alliterative alternative, and I could use it without obtaining rights from anyone…. Something to think about.)

Objectives and outcomes for Brit Lit:

Objectives:
1 To read, discuss, enjoy, and write about early English-language literature as a means of introduction to their legacy of works, both prose and poetry.

2 To write about the literature, in essays, essay exams, and literary analysis and thus enhance the students’ repertoire of writing skills.

3 To sharpen students’ writing, thinking, listening, note-taking and research skills.

4 To continue improving students’ skills through Lab work. The lab is in SFA 215.

5 To enhance student vocabularies. The use of a dictionary may be necessary.

Learning Outcomes:

• Trace, interpret, and evaluate the cultural and literary development of English literature, both in form and content, from the Old English or Anglo-Saxon period through the Neo-Classical period.

• Interpret and evaluate a literary work through understanding of the theme, situation, tone, structure and style.

• Recognize the aesthetic, moral, and intellectual values of literature.

• Recognize some of the major themes of literature.

• Understand the distinguishing characteristics of various genres such as epic poems, sonnets, plays, odes, elegies, short stories, novels, and allegories.

• Write logical, well-organized, well-supported critical responses to a literary work.

• Appropriately document material used as the result of research.

I have a problem with these outcomes/objectives. They are not as measurable as they need to be. How do you get students to enjoy and appreciate the literature? And how would you assess whether that has happened? I will work on this more and maybe repost some

How can I identify “recognize” and “understand.” I can’t. So I need to change those. “Identify three major themes of literature and demonstrate how those themes are used in two works each.” That would work. “Explain how the distinguishing characteristics of various genres such as epic poems, sonnets, plays, odes, elegies, allegories, comedies, and tragedies can be seen in at least three works read this semester.” “Demonstrate an understanding of the aesthetic, moral, and intellectual values of literature by being able to present a reasoned response and evaluation of four of the works read this semester.”

So now it will say

Learning Outcomes:
• Trace, interpret, and evaluate the cultural and literary development of English literature, both in form and content, from the Old English or Anglo-Saxon period through the Neo-Classical period.
• Interpret and evaluate a literary work through understanding of the theme, situation, tone, structure and style.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the aesthetic, moral, and intellectual values of literature by being able to present a reasoned response and evaluation of four of the works read this semester.
• Identify three major themes of literature and demonstrate how those themes are used in two works each.
• Explain how the distinguishing characteristics of various genres such as epic poems, sonnets, plays, odes, elegies, allegories, comedies, and tragedies can be see in at least three works this semester.
• Write logical, well-organized, well-supported critical responses to a literary work.
• Appropriately document material used as the result of research.

That is much better. Of course, it gives an aware student a very clear picture of the final exam now.