TA127S09

Course Content Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Response essays (20 pts. each) provide the opportunity to apply a systematic method of "dramaturgical" analysis whereby play scripts can be better understood as representative artifacts of different cultures (LO 1). Assessment of the papers is based on your application of dramaturgical analysis to the selected play script. Assessment will also be based on writing style, form, and content (see specific writing criteria in the Writing Rubric). Instructor's comments on each paper and peer review provide ongoing feedback designed to assist improvement both in writing and analytical skills.

At the beginning of each class session in which a text is scheduled for a Response Essay, students must submit a 500-word paper discussing that play text from one of the following perspectives:

Each paper must begin with a statement of the play's intention (that is, your interpretation of the "experience" this text produces when it is performed), and then proceed to a systematic analysis from the specific perspective you have chosen.

Papers must be typed, double-spaced and include numbering on each page, written in academically correct English and in essay form. Quotations from a play or other published sources should be followed by an in-text citation listing author and page number(s) in parentheses.

The following information must appear in the upper left hand corner: 1) your name; 2) TA/ENG 127; 3) date; 4) play title; 5) perspective (e.g.: "Character").

The research paper (100 pts) provides an opportunity to research relevant background information and use that information to help articulate responses to one play from the contemporary theatre. Your paper is a forum for examining wider social realities that affect, and are affected by, the theatre. Your use of research information is to expand your ongoing analysis of how the play's specific dramatic intentions are achieved by the experience that a performance creates for its audience.

Your approach is dictated by the following considerations: Your readers are your academic peers who are familiar with your chosen play and with the elements of contemporary theatre we've studied in class. In your paper, develop an interesting and supportable thesis, preferably based on a specific personal question you have in response to your play (e.g.: How does Angels in America respond to the American political climate of the early 1980s? or How are various ideas about the importance of cultural heritage expressed in Anna in the Tropics? or What different traditions of performance are employed in Urinetown?). Use your research to expand your knowledge about how theatre and society interact. Give reasons and evidence for your assertions. Point to specific elements in the script and in your research to support your arguments.

Each student is responsible for turning in an individual Paper Proposal of 1-2 typed paragraphs. Elements of the Proposal should include:

Using the Library's databases, create a list of at least 10 bibliographic references.

The references should be primarily scholarly in nature, and should look into some aspect of your chosen play/theme. They may offer theoretical, historical, or other background information. They may be books, chapters in books, or articles in an academic journal. These are often published by a university press or university-sponsored journal. Internet sources must be carefully evaluated for their scholarly validity.

From your 10 references choose one article or chapter from a book to write a brief Abstract--a 2 paragraph summary of the argument and methodology (or approach) and goal (or conclusion) of the article/chapter. Discuss how you plan to use the article/chapter in your research.

No late or untyped papers will be accepted and missed assignments cannot be made up.

Writing Rubric for 127

Academic Integrity: Your own commitment to learning, as evidenced by your enrollment at San Jose State University, and the University's Academic Integrity Policy requires you to be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the Office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development. The policy on academic integrity can be found at http://sa.sjsu.edu/student_conduct. One form of academic dishonesty is plagiarism--taking ideas, writing, or work from another person or source and representing them as one's own. Plagiarism includes both having someone else write your papers and cutting and pasting from the Internet. For advice on how to avoid plagiarism, consult the following site: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html

Persons with Disabilities: San Jose State University encourages qualified persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 requires that students with disabilities must register with DRC to establish a record of their disability.

Adding and Dropping: Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drops, academic renewal, etc. Information on add/drops are available at http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/narr/soc-fall/rec-324.html . Information about late drop is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/sac/advising/latedrops/policy/ . Students should be aware of the current deadlines and penalties for adding and dropping classes.

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