Introducing Literature 2 (Credit Plus) (10 credit points)

Pre-requisites for enrolment

It would be useful to have had recent essay practice on an Open Studies course (or equivalent).

Content of Course

1. Essay titles given out. Study skills introduction and time management. Reading: close and skim. Introductory lecture. Brainstorming: How do we tackle Shakespeare?

2. Mind maps. Note taking. Lecture: Shakespeare and tragedy. King Lear.

3. Writing a literature essay I: Preparation, planning, and writing. King Lear.

4. Writing a literature essay II: Presentation, bibliography and using Turnitin. King Lear.

5. Practice close reading: Poetry. Lecture: Stevenson and the nineteenth-century novel. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

6. Submit practice essay. Practice close reading: Drama. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.Brainstorming: Narration.

7. Practice essay returned. Review practice essay. Look Back in Anger. Lecture: Osborne in context.

8. Practice close reading: Novel. Look Back in Anger.

9. Essay plan due. Moving on with study skills. Poetry (Seamus Heaney).

10. Essay plans returned. Essay planning workshops. Poetry (Carol Ann Duffy & Simon Armitage).

Please note that the timetable is subject to change.

Teaching method(s)

Teaching methods will include a mix of lecture and seminar style teaching with small group work and discussion time.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will have acquired the skills to:

• Write in a variety of ways from critical evaluations to thematic answers (students will not be allowed to write the same type of essay twice);

• Confidently discuss a variety of texts and genres;

• Assess literature based, to a certain extent, on their own close reading;

• Place literature in its historical context;

• Understand a broader notion of tragedy in literature;

• Express the differences between dramatic text and dramatic performance.

Sources

Core Readings

Essential:

• Stevenson, Robert Louis. 1998. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Weir of Hermiston, Oxford: Oxford World’s Classics.

• Shakespeare, William. 1997. King Lear, London: Arden Shakespeare.

• Osborne, John. 1994. Look Back in Anger, London: Faber and Faber.

Study Skills

• Northedge, Andrew. 2005. The Good Study Guide (New Edition) Milton Keynes: The Open University.

Background reading:

• Alexander, Michael. A History of English Literature, London and Basingstoke: Macmillan.

Class Handouts

Poetry will be provided in class and extracts for close reading will be provided.

Assessments

10 credit courses have one assessment. Normally, the assessment is a 2000 word essay, worth 100% of the total mark, submitted by week 12. To pass, students must achieve a minimum of 40%. There are a small number of exceptions to this model which are identified in the Studying for Credit Guide.

Studying for Credit

If you choose to study for credit you will need to allocate significant time outwith classes for coursework and assessment preparation. Credit points gained from this course can count towards the Certificate of Higher Education.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.