CLAS 095  TAP: Greek Tragedy             
     
Aug 28-Dec 07 
11:00-12:15  TR    
10   MORRILL Hall       
Cross listed as WLIT 095 A                                  

Professor Jacques A. Bailly
 Classics Dept.
 481 Main St., Room 300
 656-0993
jacques.bailly@zoo.uvm.edu

This syllabus is posted on the web at: http://www.uvm.edu/~jbailly/courses/tragedy/. The paper copy which is handed out at the beginning of the class is not the official syllabus: the website syllabus is the official syllabus. I encourage you to bookmark it on your computers and to refer to it rather than to the paper copy so that you are aware of any changes that are made during the course of the semester.

Attendance: Required. See below under "Grades: evidence of engagement."

Required Texts:
Grades: 91-100%=A, 81-90%=B, 71-80%=C, 61-70%=D, 60% or lower fails.
Plus and minus will be given for the top three and bottom three points of each range respectively.

Graded Elements of this Course:
Documents (2): 25% each (5% of each will be your oral presentation at the end of the semester)
Midterm and Final: 15% each.
Questions and Quotations: 10%
Fact Finding Missions: 10%
My estimate of your engagement may improve (or hurt) your grade by up to 10% (the default is that it will not affect your grade). Evidence of such engagement includes attendance, participation in class, contacts outside of class, enthusiasm, and attitude. In other words, it includes whether or not it is obvious to me that you are engaged (absence, even if unavoidable, necessarily hampers engagement).

Graded Assignments
Final and Midterm
1. For both the midterm and final, you will write 2 short essays (3 pages each) on assigned topics. The topics will be announced beforehand, and you will bring the COMPLETED typed essays with you to the midterm and final and hand them in with the midterm and final.
2. Factual Matters. You will be asked to know certain factual matters on the midterm and final. These things will be posted on the web beforehand. Some of the factual matters which you must know are all of your classmates names, the authors of the works we read, the characters' names from the works we read, and the translators' names if the works are translated.

Questions and Quotations
Every day at the start of class, you must hand in a sheet of paper with a question about class material or a written-out quotation from our readings that interested you. These will double as attendance evidence, and so none will be accepted outside of class or by proxy. Please do not ask for exceptions. I will drop two of them. I will not return them or comment on them. I may use them to provoke class discussion, as exam questions, to assess your engagement with the class, and/or to assess how the course is working.

Fact-Finding Missions
During class, you will surely ask questions that have simple factual answers. If I do not know the answers off the top of my head, the class or certain members of it will be sent on a fact-finding mission. The next class, there will be an opportunity to orally report on facts found. Bring your answers with you written out on the same sheet of paper as your "Questions and Quotations" for the day.

We will have to discuss what counts as a successful fact finding mission and see how this idea goes during the semester before deciding on a figure for the number or amount of fact-finding each student must do in order to get full credit. In other words, as of now, I like the idea a lot, but cannot quite imagine the details as far as grading goes.

Documents
You are to compose a document for use next time I teach the class (i.e. include whatever you think is most important and interesting for students of Greek Tragedy). The format may be outline, essay, or whatever you would find most appropriate and helpful as a student (no powerpoint presentations, however). Length may vary depending on the format you choose (a 5-6 page essay is what I have in mind, so aim for the equivalent of that). Use of secondary sources is optional, but recommended. Images that serve an educational purpose would be good too. Independent research and presentation of material not covered in class sessions is highly encouraged.

The topic area for the first document will be the play which you chose to report on the first day of class.

The topic for the second document will be of your choosing. It may be thematic (e.g. religion, politics, ethics, or acting in tragedy) or center around a particular play.

Grading Notes
Your writing must be in good English suitable for college-level writing assignments (i.e. VERY FEW mistakes in writing mechanics: less than 2 per typed page: no chattiness, no slang, no contractions, well-thought out structure, complete sentences, correct punctuation and spelling, etc.). If they are not at that level, you will be docked a grade for poor quality product. You may rewrite assignments to redeem yourself. The last day of classes is the last date I will accept rewrites.

Your writing must consist of well thought out and well-structured efforts that center around a central topic and reach some significant conclusion about it. In other words, your first draft will probably not be sufficient. These should not be informal in any way. They should be concise and careful.

Written Comments and Grades
As I read student work, what grade the work deserves becomes clear to me rather quickly. What comments I should write about a student's work is, unfortunately, a question whose answer is never clear to me. I'll try to provide intelligent, helpful comments on your papers with the pious hope they are helpful. The best way to improve your writing, however, is to care about it, continually look for ways to improve, and practice writing. Just as the athlete must put in many hours of practice for each minute in the game, so you should put in many hours of practice for each line on the page. Writing is communication, and communication is the most important life skill and career skill that a liberal arts education can provide. You are your own best critic and best friend when it comes to improving your writing: care about it, try hard, and you will improve. There is always room for improvement!


Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.
 (John Dewey, UVM 1879)