Spring 2004
GER 431: The Classics
Instructor: Dr. Raymond
L. Burt, Professor of German at UNCW
Office: Alderman Hall 111
BURTR@UNCW.EDU
Telephone: (910) 962-4095
Office Hours: Tuesdays
& Thursdays -
As an administrator I
am on campus during normal work hours. Call (910) 962-3137 to set up an
appointment
Course Description
We will read, discuss and write about poems and prose works by German writers during the Eighteenth Century – with a focus on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. There will be mini-lectures, class discussion (sometimes in pairs or groups), two exams, a number of writing assignments, and regular quizzes.
Prerequisites
At UNCW you need to have completed GER 202 or have placed into the 300 level; at ECU, the prerequisite for this course is GERM 3510 (Introduction to German Literature). In more general terms, four semesters of college German have to be completed.
Student Learning Objectives
By the end of the course you should be able
to:
- be familiar with the basic literary movements of the Eighteenth Century
- discuss, orally and in writing, selected works of German literature of the
18th century (their topics, motifs and literary devices) in their cultural and
political contexts
- write an interpretive analysis of a literary text in German.
Texts
Recommended for purchase
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang. Die Leiden des Jungen
Werther. Roger Paulin, ed.
Schiller, Friedrich.
Die Räuber. F.J. Lamport, ed.
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang. Faust. Walter Kaufman, trans. and ed.
If you can't purchase the books at your local
bookstore, the texts are available online for free use at Projekt
Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg2000.de/index.htm
A good-size dictionary,
such as the New College German Dictionary (Langenscheidt) or Cassell's German Dictionary Concise Edition. You may also
use on-line dictionaries such as: http://dict.leo.org/,
http://www.langenscheidt.aol.de/,
http://www.linguadict.de/ and http://www.wordreference.com/; there
are others on the web (Google will turn them up), but
these may be the best or biggest ones.
You may NOT use online or
electronic translation programs.
Course Requirements and Evaluation
|
Attendance |
See Attendance Policy |
|
Class Work |
20%, see below for details |
|
Written Assignments |
20%, see below for details |
|
Final Paper |
20%, see below for details |
|
Midterm Exam |
20%, exam on material from first half of semester |
|
Final Exam |
20%, exam on material from second half of semester |
Class Work
For your participation in class, your grade will be determined using the
following criteria:
A = you are well prepared, often with written notes, and participate actively;
you are attentive, respond when called upon and volunteer often with pertinent
questions and comments.
B = you are usually prepared, sometimes with written notes, and always respond
when called on; you volunteer on occasion.
C= you show evidence of being unprepared; you have some trouble when called on
and do not volunteer often.
D = you are unprepared and/or inattentive; you never volunteer; you come to
class late and/or leave early.
F= you exhibit a lack of concern for the class; you sleep in class; your behavior
may have a negative effect on the class.
Group Work
There will be group activities. The above evaluation criteria also apply to
group work. Be a good team member in partner work or small group activities.
Written Assignments
You will submit your written assignments via email. Send
email to burtr@uncw.edu. Assignments are due by email submission at
Final Paper
For your final paper you will write an analysis of a literary text, about 3-4
pages. The format will be 1 ” margins on all
sides, 12 pt. Times New Roman font, double-spaced, with page numbers. Base your
arguments on close readings; give concrete examples (quotes) from the texts to
support your arguments; and avoid vague impressions and over-genera
Exams
The midterm will cover roughly the first half of the
semester, the final exam the second half. Exam expectation sheets will be
posted later.
Department of Foreign Languages &
Literature grading scale (in %)
|
100 - 93 A |
86 - 83 B |
77 - 73 C |
66 – 63 D |
|
93 - 90 A- |
82 - 80 B- |
72 - 70 C- |
62 – 60 D- |
|
89 – 87 B+ |
79 - 77 C+ |
69 - 67 D+ |
59 or below F |
Attendance Policy
Regular attendance is necessary for achieving good results in your studies and contributing to the success of the whole group. For every unexcused absence in excess of 2 (two) classes, your semester grade will be reduced by 1 point. If you have to miss a class, please inform me about it beforehand or as soon as possible after the absence.
Academic Honor Code
Students enrolled in this course must respect and abide by the Academic Honor Code of UNCW. This may be found in the Undergraduate Catalogue 2003/04 on page 64.