2008/09 Undergraduate Module Catalogue
ENGL32460 Writing America
20 creditsClass Size: 50
School of English
Module manager: Dr Hamilton Carroll
Email: h.e.m.carroll@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2008/09
This module is not approved as an Elective
Objectives
To introduce students to American literature in its cultural context. To prepare students for more advanced work in American literature and culture. To enhance students' critical and analytical skills with respect to written texts. To enhance students' skills in oral presentation and essay writing.Learning outcomes
Students will have developed:
the ability to use written and oral communication effectively;
the capacity to analyse and critically examine diverse forms of discourse;
the ability to manage quantities of complex information in a structured and systematic way;
the capacity for independent thought and judgement;
critical reasoning;
research skills, including the retrieval of information, the organisation of material and the evaluation of its importance;
IT skills;
efficient time management and organisation skills;
the ability to learn independently.
Skills outcomes
Skills for effective communication, oral and written.
Capacity to analyse and critically examine diverse forms of discourse.
Ability to acquire quantities of complex information of diverse kinds in a structured and systematic way.
Capacity for independent thought and judgement.
Critical reasoning.
Research skills, including information retrieval skills, the organisation of material, and the evaluation of its importance.
IT skills.
Time management and organisational skills.
Independent learning.
Syllabus
Writing America introduces some of the ways in which significant issues such as liberty, race and gender have been represented and discoursed upon in American literature. It often asks whether there is anything distinctively American about particular texts and/or the structures of thought they exhibit. It examines certain notions, such as 'the American Dream', that have threatened to become clichis. Throughout, there is an emphasis on geographic, ideological, political and economic factors in American culture, including the existence of a moving frontier, the dominance of democratic imperatives, the prevalence of transcendentalist philosophy, the scale of immigration, and the rise of the city.
Teaching methods
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
| Meetings | 5 | 1.00 | 5.00 |
| Lecture | 10 | 1.00 | 10.00 |
| Seminar | 10 | 1.00 | 10.00 |
| Private study hours | 175.00 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 25.00 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200.00 | ||
Private study
Teaching will be through weekly seminars (10 x 1 hour) and weekly lectures (10 x 1 hour) plus up to 5 additional hours (content to be determined by the module tutor). The 5 additional hours may include lectures, plenary sessions, film showings, or the return of unassessed/assessed essays.Private Study: Seminar preparation, reading, essay writing.
Opportunities for Formative Feedback
Contribution to seminars.Assessed essay
Methods of assessment
Coursework
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
| Essay | 2250 words | 50.00 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 50.00 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Exams
| Exam type | Exam duration | % of formal assessment |
| Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc) | 2 hr | 50.00 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Exams) | 50.00 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Reading list
The reading list is available from the Library websiteLast updated: 24/04/2008
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