JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
HONORS PROGRAM
DESCRIPTION OF HONORS CONTRACT
British Literature I
This Honors Contract can be taken concurrently or sequentially (the semester immediately following the semester the course is taken) with the following course:
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Course Title: British Literature I Course No: ENGL 236
Author of Contract: Keith Geekie Hours Credit: 1
In addition to satisfying the normal objectives/competencies of the course, the student must complete the following objectives to accomplish a higher level of scholastic work:
Objectives:
Option A
Select a theme in a writer’s poetry or fiction. Discuss the theme by drawing on various aspects of the writer’s work. Demonstrate this theme’s relevance to contemporary life.
Option B
Identify what can and/or cannot be achieved by a translation of the author’s work into film.
Tasks:
Option A: Identifying and discussing a major theme in the work of a single author.
- Select a major author from the beginnings of English literature through 1800.
2. Read a substantial collection of poems or a major novel(s) by the same author.
3. Write a reading journal which identifies and discusses major thematic elements that unify the work(s) in question.
4. Write a 10 to 12 page paper in which the theme is discussed, concluding with the relevance of the work to both the student and current times.
Option B: Translating writing into film.
1. Select an author from the beginnings of English literature through 1800 whose work often is translated into film. Read a major novel or two plays by this writer.
2. View three film versions (or more) of this writer’s work (i.e., watch 5 versions of Shakespeare’s Henry V).
3. Read at 5 reviews of each film.
4. Write a 10 to 12 page essay which identifies the challenges and successes that accompany an effort to translate the author’s work into film.
Expectations:
1. Time committed to task (approximately 50 hours)
2. Regular meeting with mentor, totaling 8 hours.
3. Punctual attendance at all schedule meetings.
4. Independence in defining the area to be investigated, in finding sources, and in completing the assignments but willingness to seek help from instructor whenever necessary
5. Willingness to revise writing to a high level of proficiency.
6. Completion of all assigned work.
Grading Criteria:
1. Punctuality and attendance at scheduled meetings
2. A well written, properly formatted essay.
3. Sophisticated discussion of structural unity or comparative analysis.
4. Critical thinking.
5. Engaged discussions of the course materials.