The syllabus also contains Julie Dash's movie Daughters of the Dust, a source of inspiration for her later novel by the same name. You are also required to attend the movie screening or to arrange to see the video on your own before the class. Each person in class will be asked to lead class discussion with a group several times during the semester. Late papers and journal entries will be penalized. Completion of any assigned revisions to papers may also part of the course requirements.
Due dates are on syllabus below.
Poor attendance and class participation and late papers will negatively affect your grade, just as poor written work will. Clear improvement in your writing over the course of the semester will help your final grade, as will thoughtful class participation. All writing that you turn in for this English class should be yours alone and done solely for this course. Students should also consult the Swarthmore College Student Handbook's section on Academic Honesty, which has advice relevant for all your classes at Swarthmore. I will be happy to confer with you about any issues involving citing sources or plagiarism if you have questions.