ENGL 2160 Mythology Departmental Syllabus

Catalog Course Description:

Cross-cultural survey of the creation, hero, and fertility myths of diverse cultures including Middle Eastern, European, African, Asian, and North and South American; study of Classical Greek Mythology. [F, S] Three credit hours. Fulfills a General Education requirement

Prerequisite:

Placement as required by TBR ACT specifications

Corequisites:

ENGL0810 and READ0810 if required by TBR specifications

Entry Level Standards:

Placement as required by TBR ACT specifications

Instructor:

Bill Stifler
Phone: 423-697-2527
Office: IMC-223
Email: bill.stifler@chattanoogastate.edu (Students should not use this e-mail address but only e-mail the instructor using eLearn)

Required Textbooks and Materials:

• Stifler, Bill, editor. Mythology: Reading Myth by the River. McGraw-Hill Create, 2018. Print. [ISBN 13: 978-1-307-21656-1].
• Hamilton, Edith. Mythology. Little, Brown, 1942.

Required Student Learning Outcomes:

Humanities and Fine Arts Division Mission Statement:

The mission of the Chattanooga State Humanities and Fine Arts Division is to guide students in expanding their knowledge and understanding of the world around them and in developing the verbal, written, and performance skills necessary to articulate that expanded world view, thereby equipping them to function as better students in an academic community and as better citizens in the global community.

Institutional Student Learning Outcomes (ISLO)

These represents institutional student learning outcomes, broad skills that students will learn at Chattanooga State regardless of degree or major. These are skills identified by employers as essential.

1. Communication: Communication is the development and expression of ideas through the effective use of the English language, essential to students' success in school and in the world. Students must learn to read and listen critically, and to write and speak thoughtfully, clearly, coherently, and persuasively. Written communication involves learning to work in many genres and styles. It can involve working with many different writing technologies, and mixing texts, data, and images. Oral communication is a prepared, purposeful presentation designed to increase knowledge, to foster understanding, or to promote change in the listeners' attitudes, values, beliefs, or behaviors.
2. Critical Thinking Skills: Critical thinking is a habit of mind characterized by the comprehensive exploration of issues, ideas, artifacts, and events before accepting or formulating an opinion or conclusion. It includes a systematic process of exploring issues, objects, or works through the collection and analysis of evidence that results in informed conclusions or judgments and includes the suspension of judgment until evidence has been gathered and weighed. Analysis is the process of breaking complex topics or issues into parts to gain a better understanding of them. Synthesis involves the ability to see connections between diverse kinds of knowledge, both within and between fields, the ability to see the larger whole and purpose. Students demonstrate their skill through problem solving and the application of the critical processes relevant to their chosen field of study.
3. Global/Cultural Awareness: Students will develop an understanding of global interdependence and how it is influenced by culture - those values, beliefs, practices, rituals, and behaviors held by groups of people. Students will learn how to formally and informally communicate across cultures, recognizing similarities and respecting differences.
4. Work Ethic: Work Ethic is a moral set of values internalized and exhibited by a person or group. It is normally defined by a list of positive behaviors like diligence, honesty, efficiency, initiative, and cooperativeness. Through collaboration with all stakeholders, ChSCC has chosen four attributes: Teamwork, Integrity, Productivity, and Professionalism to define Work Ethic for our campus.

Program Student Learning Outcome (PSLO)

The goal of the Humanities/Fine Arts requirement is to enhance the understanding of students who, as citizens and educated members of their community, need to know and appreciate their own human cultural heritage and roots. Through the study of the Humanities and Fine Arts, such students will gain substantial knowledge and appreciation of their global heritage, both in its western and non-western aspects. Also, through study of Humanities and Fine Arts, students will develop an understanding, which they otherwise would not have, of the present as informed by the past.

Course Student Learning Outcomes (CSLO)

1. Analyze significant primary texts and works of art, ancient, pre-modern, and modern, as forms of cultural and creative expression.
2. Explain the ways in which humanistic and/or artistic expression throughout the ages expresses the culture and values of its time and place.
3. Explore global/cultural diversity.
4. Frame a comparative context through which they can critically assess the ideas, forces, and values that have created the modern world.
5. Recognize the ways in which both change and continuity have affected human history.
6. Practice the critical and analytical methodologies of the Humanities and Fine Arts.

Learning Indicators

The student's ability to demonstrate the following will be indicators of their success in achieving the program and course level student learning outcomes.

• Define myth and mythology and basic terminology used in the study of myth
• Recognize the historical character of myth studies and the influence on myth studies of prevailing philosophies and world views
• Recognize and briefly explain various disciplinary approaches to myth (historical, sociological, anthropological, psychological, cultural, literary, and contemporary/multi-disciplinary) and identify their principal adherents
• Recognize, identify, explain, and apply basic theoretical approaches and concepts used in the study of mythology as a formal discipline
  • Weigle's creation myth types
  • General archetypal symbolism,
  • Gender archetypes of the male/female divine,
  • Archetypal heroic patterns such as Campbell's 11 stage monomyth, Raglan's "hero of tradition," and Rank's basic elements of the hero
  • Propp/Hastings functions of fairy tales
  • Eliade on sacred and profane space
  • Marx on binary oppositions between the privileged and marginalized
  • Levi-Strauss on binary oppositions and conflict resolution
  • Freud's id, ego, and superego
  • Jung's primary archetypes
  • Various approaches to fertility and sacred rituals
  • Carol Pearson's six archetypal characters
  • Traits of the Homeric hero
• Demonstrate familiarity with the Graeco-Roman and Nordic pantheons
  • Familiarity with the major male and female divine figures
  • Familiarity with the basic plots and principal characters of the major hero stories: Jason and the Argonauts, Iliad, Odyssey, Aeneid, selected Greek tragedies
  • Define and provide examples of mythic allusions in literature and modern culture
• Recognize similarities between Western mythologies and non-Western mythologies and demonstrate some familiarity with important stories such as the the Epic of Gilgamesh, Bhagavad Gita,the Ramayana, Beowulf, the Nibelungenleid, and the Arthurian cycle
• Demonstrate knowledge of the cultural, historical, and psychological significance of myth and discuss the uses of mythic materials in belletristic and popular art and culture

Required Assessments:

Assessment Names and Descriptions:

1. Discussions: Students will engage in discussions of various critical approaches to mythology, their historical roots, and their application to the study of myth. After reading specific world myths from their textbooks and summaries of myths from the online course content, students will discuss
   • how various critical approaches apply to the myths and expand our understanding of myth and its significance;
   • the implications a particular myth has in suggesting the historical culture and values of a people;
   • the ways in which the similarities between myths suggest common human values and beliefs;
   • the relationships between myth and religion, story and belief;
   • the impact of myth on both archaic, ancient, and modern peoples;
   • the ways in which an understanding of myth can lead to both an appreciation of other cultures and a deeper insight into one's own culture, and
   • the ways in which myth impacts people's views of society and influences their relationships with others, individually and collectively.
   (PSLO; CSLO1, CSLO2, CSLO3, CSLO4, CSLO5, CSLO6; ISLO: Critical Thinking Skills, Global Cultural Awareness, Communication Skills, Work Ethic)
2. Exams 1-3: Students will complete objective exams to demonstrate their understanding of and ability to apply various critical methodologies common to the study of myth. Students will also demonstrate familiarity with the key figures and stories of myths, particularly classical and Norse myths, helping them recognize the allusive nature of myth in modern life and literature. (PSLO; CSLO1, CSL02, CSLO3, CSLO4, CSLO6; ISLO: Critical Thinking Skills, Global Cultural Awareness, Work Ethic)
3. Creation Project: Students will use the critical and analytical methodology of creation typology to write an original creation myth, in appropriate grammatical form, that would explain our current world. Students will then write an essay demonstrating how their creation myth explains our world, which creation types they have used, how the types they have used compare with existing creation myths, and how their creation myth illustrates and supports the ideas, forces, and values which have created the world in which we live. This assignment will help students develop a deeper understanding of how creation myths influence and historically develop a culture's perception of itself and the world. (PSLO; CSLO4, CSLO5, CSLO6; ISLO: Critical Thinking Skills, Global Cultural Awareness, Communication Skills, Work Ethic)
4. Novel Analysis: CSLO4 requires students to develop a comparative context in which to engage critically ideas, forces, and values shaping culture. CSLO6 requires students to practice the critical and analytical methodologies appropriate to the study of the humanities. Students will apply a minimum of three critical approaches to mythology to the interpretation of a novel selected from an approved list, demonstrating their understanding of these approaches, the similarities that exist between cultural myths and belletristic writing, and the commonalities of human experience. Students must identify those theories relevant to the novel and apply them, making consistent, reasonable, and valid judgments to argue thoughtful and logical conclusions that will accurately reflect an understanding of the novel and of the critical theories being applied. (PSLO; CSLO4; CSLO6; ISLO: Critical Thinking Skills, Communication Skills, Work Ethic)
5. Final Exam: Students will write a self-reflective narrative focused on what they have learned expressed as changes in feelings, perceptions, or behavior. During the semester, students engage in classroom discussions of myths from around the world, examining the way various critical methodologies help us understand the myths and find common ground despite cultural differences. Discussions also focus on the ways in which attitudes and approaches to myth historically have been influenced by historical and cultural forces that continue to shape modern attitudes, beliefs, and practices. The final exam allows students to reflect on how the history of myth studies has shaped and continues to shape modern culture and how it affects their individual lives, personally, culturally, and socially. (PSLO; CSLO1, CSLO2, CSLO3, CSLO4, CSLO5, CSLO6; ISLO: Critical Thinking Skills, Global Cultural Awareness, Communication Skills, Work Ethic)

Important Note:The Creation Project, Novel Analysis, and the Final Exam Essay must be submitted in order to pass the class.

CSLO/Assessment Alignment and Grade Distribution

Assessment alignment with Course Student Learning Outcomes

Assessment	CSLO
Discussions	CSLO1, CSLO2, CSLO3, CSLO4, CSLO5, CSLO6
Exams 1-3	CSLO1, CSLO2, CSLO3, CSLO4, CSLO6
Creation Project	CSLO4, CSLO5, CSLO6
Novel Analysis	CSLO4, CSLO6
Final Exam	CSLO1, CSLO2, CSLO3, CSLO4, CSLO5, CSLO6

Grade Percentages:

• Discussions: 10%; 100 points
• Exams (obj/subj questions): 45%; 150 points each for a total of 450 points
• Creation Project: 10%; 100 points
• Novel Analysis: 25%; 250 points
• Final Exam: 10%; 100 points

Total: 100%; 1000 points

Missing work will receive a zero (0) that will be averaged into the final course grade.

Final Grades:

90-100 A
80 - 89 B
70-79 C
65-69 D
Below 65 F
I (Incomplete) May be given at the instructor's discretion to students who have not fulfilled all course requirements at the end of the grading period.

Instructor Policies

Important Note: Instructor reserves the right to modify this syllabus at any time with written notification to the students.

Attendance

Class attendance is critically important. For online students, this means logging into the course, engaging with the course materials on a weekly basis and participating in online discussions. For campus students, this means coming to class every day, engaging with course materials, and participaing in classroom activities. The discussion grade for campus students is based on attendance and reflection writing assignments. Students who have poor attendance risk failure. If, at any time, students find that they will be unable to participate in class for an extended period of time, they should contact the instructor immediately to make certain that they do not fall behind on assignments. Students who have excessive absenteeism may face failure for the course regardless of performance on individual assignments.

Late Papers

Due dates will be posted in the description of each assignment. When students login to the course, they should check the dropbox, discussions, and assessments for due dates. After a due date and time has been reached, the assignment will no longer be accessible. Again, remember that all dropbox assignments must be completed and submitted by the "assignment due date" in order for students to receive full credit points. Assignments received after the closing due date/time will have grades reduced by 5% immediately and an additional 5% for each hour that the assignment is late. IMPORTANT: Students who miss a deadline on a paper should email the late paper to the instructor immediately upon completion of the assignment to maximize potential credit. Failure to submit the assignment will result in a failing grade for the course.

Deadlines for when assignments are due will be posted. Due dates for written work are posted in the Dropbox. Deadlines for exams are posted on the Assessments page. Deadlines fo discussion are posted in each discussion forum. Assignments will be available for a limited time. Students who fail to complete a discussion or an exam during the availability period will receive a zero (0) for that assignment.

Important Note: Students must complete all written assignments in order to be eligible for a passing grade for the course.

Work Ethic (extra credit points)

Students will receive work ethic points for their productivity based on their ability to complete assignments in advance of deadlines. Students who consistently complete work at the last minute do not have a good work ethic and risk missing deadlines. Therefore, online students who complete the minimum required discussion assignments by Thursdays of the week assigned will receive work ethic credits for their efforts. Students who complete the Creation Project and Novel Analysis at least three hours before deadlines will earn Work Ethic points as well; however, the assignment must be complete, following the assignment guidelines and meeting all assignment requirements. A paper submitted early that does not meet guidelines or follow directions does not demonstrate good work ethic. Students who complete exams by Thursday of the week due will earn work ethic points for their efforts. The Work Ethic points for timely submission of discussions and assignments are extra credit points.

Instructor Availability

The Tennessee Board of Regents Online Degree Program requires that faculty in online classes log into their class a minimum of once during each 48 hours and reply to email messages. Instructors are also expected to grade assignments and exams within two weeks. This standard, apart from the following exceptions, will be the minimum standard for the instructor in this course. Exceptions: The instructor may not be available or respond during scheduled school breaks (for instance, Fall Break or Spring Break), holidays (for instance, Labor Day or Thanksgiving), and weekends. In most cases, instructors will login several times daily during the week and grade assignments within a week of receiving them in the dropbox. Quizzes and exams will be graded within 48 hours of the closing of the quiz or exam (Quizzes and exams cannot be graded prior to closing in order to ensure the integrity of the process). There may be occasions when the instructor will be out of town or involved in a professional development activity that will limit the frequency of his or her participation. In such instances, students will be notified in advance of the instructor's absence or limited presence, and the instructor will make adjustments to the course to minimize the impact of his or her absence on student work.

Academic Integrity/Academic Honesty

In addition to the consequences outlined in the campus policy regarding academic integrity (see the Student Handbook), students who are found committing an act of academic misconduct on an assignment must still complete the assignment correctly in order to be eligible to pass.

Students who violate academic integrity a second time will receive a failing grade for the course.

Students should be aware that an act of academic misconduct may also have further repercussions, including academic suspension, academic probation, loss of a scholarship or financial aid, or expulsion from a campus organization, sports team, or society. Instructors are required to document and report all cases of academic misconduct. If students ever have any question about the appropriateness of what they are doing on an assignment or plan to do, it is the students' responsibility to discuss the situation with the instructor before submitting the assignment. Students charged with academic misconduct have the right to due process, which is explained on the campus Judicial Affairs site.

Course Schedule

A general course schedule will be posted in eLearn. Specific deadlines for assessments, the dropbox, discussions, or other assignments will be posted in eLearn for the respective activites.

Questions about grades, policies, other concerns

If students have a question about a grade, policy, or other concern about this class, they should talk to the instructor as soon as possible after the question arises. If they still have a concern once they have discussed the matter with the instructor, they should speak to the Department Head, Humanities Building Room 102, 423-697-4440. Final course grades are subject to appeal in accordance with the College's Student Final Course Grade Appeal Request. The forms and instructions for this process are available in the Humanities and Fine Arts Division Office.

College Policy Statements:

This class is governed by the policies and procedures stated in the current Chattanooga State Student Handbook: College Policies.