Dr. Mark Jordan ~ ENGL 1302: Composition & Literature Assignments (Note that I stopped updating and using this calendar after Fall 2012.  I am including this note because the calendar is linked to in various places, and a student may reach it when I no longer intend that.  Sorry for any confusion.) You will find a Calendar of Assignments in table form below.  Assignments requiring access to a link within my website will include a live link to allow you access.  Assignments not requiring access to my website links and which are to be done entirely within Blackboard will not contain live links.  Note that all assignments, whether requiring access to my website or not, are to be submitted via Blackboard. A WORD OF CAUTION: Your browser may be set up so that when you try to access this link, it may access its own cache of my link, rather than my actual link. The problem with this is that the cached link will not show any current assignments. To avoid this problem, you may want to either click on "Refresh" or "Reload" when you access this link, or else set your browser options so as to not save any history of links you access.

Calendar of Assignments All major and daily assignments will be posted here beginning the first week of class. Assignment # Type Description Due Date Weight ONE Learning about the course Here in my website (not Blackboard), use the menu bar at the top or bottom of this Assignment Calendar and read three important links:  Welcome, Syllabus, and Getting Started.  You will read important info on course requirements and how the course works. Please read by Thursday, August 30th Not a graded assignment TWO In Blackboard, submit "Getting Started" responses as a Rich Text file. Once you have activated your OC email account and logged in to Blackboard, first read the Announcements.  Then locate the menu to the left and select Assignments.  Then select Daily Grades on the next screen.  Select Getting Started and follow the further instructions. Due by midnight, Friday, August 31st One daily grade; average of all daily grades counts 20% of course THREE In Blackboard, do the first Discussion Board topic, Getting to Know Each Other Log in to Blackboard.  Click on Assignments, then click on Daily Grades.  Scroll down past the getting Started assignment and click on Getting To Know Each Other.  Follow the further instructions. Due by midnight, Friday, August 31st Part of attendance grade; average of all discussion group grades counts 5% of course FOUR In Blackboard, submit Quiz One (on Theme) as a Rich Text file. Within Blackboard, select Assignments in the menu on the left, then enter Daily Grades.  Find the Quiz One assignment and complete it according to the further instructions there.   This is an open-book quiz.  Note that this and most following assignments cannot be accessed until the particular assignment is opened by me in Blackboard. Due by midnight, Tuesday, September 4th One daily grade FIVE In Blackboard, submit Quiz Two (on Literary Devices) as a Rich Text file. Within Blackboard, select Assignments in the menu on the left, then enter Daily Grades.  Find the Quiz Two assignment and complete it according to the further instructions there.   This is an open-book quiz. Due by midnight, Wednesday, September 5th One daily grade SIX In Blackboard, submit Quiz Three (on Basic Interpretive Strategy) as a Rich Text file. Within Blackboard, select Assignments in the menu on the left, then enter Daily Grades.  Find the Quiz Three assignment and complete it according to the further instructions there.   This is an open-book quiz. Due by midnight, Thursday, September 6th One daily grade SEVEN Submit this first worksheet, on "Cathedral," in Blackboard as a Rich Text file. You may access this worksheet either from the link at the end of this instruction, or from within Blackboard, but you must submit it in Blackboard (web students only).  To access the worksheet, click here once the assignment opens in Blackboard. Due by midnight, Tuesday, September 11th One daily grade EIGHT In Blackboard, do the second Discussion Board topic Log in to Blackboard.  Click on Assignments, then click on Daily Grades.  Scroll down past the getting Started assignment and find the Second Discussion Board assignment. Follow the further instructions. Runs through the date to be announced in Blackboard.  Requires several postings. Part of attendance grade NINE Submit this second worksheet (on "Everyday Use") in Blackboard as a Rich Text file. You may access this worksheet either from the link at the end of this instruction, or from within Blackboard, but you must submit it in Blackboard (web students only).  To access the worksheet, click here once the assignment opens in Bb. Due by midnight, Sunday, September 16th One daily grade TEN You will submit this essay in Blackboard as a Rich Text file in Major Grades This essay will fall due after the first unit test, and is your second major grade.  It is open early to allow students to begin.  Click here to read instructions for this Fiction Essay once it opens. Due by midnight, Wednesday, October 10th (tentative) Second major grade, after Fiction Unit Test; counts 10% of course ELEVEN In Blackboard, do the third Discussion Board topic Log in to Blackboard.  Click on Assignments, then click on Daily Grades.  Scroll down and find the Third Discussion Board assignment. Follow the further instructions. Runs through date to be announced in Blackboard.  Requires several postings. Part of attendance grade TWELVE Submit this third worksheet (on "Greasy Lake") in Blackboard as a Rich Text file. You may access this worksheet either from the link at the end of this instruction, or from within Blackboard, but you must submit it in Blackboard (web students only).  To access the worksheet, click here once it opens. Due by midnight, Friday, September 21st One daily grade THIRTEEN Submit this fourth worksheet (on "Sonny's Blues") in Blackboard as a Rich Text file. You may access this worksheet either from the link at the end of this instruction, or from within Blackboard, but you must submit it in Blackboard (web students only).  To access the worksheet, click here once it opens. Due by midnight, Friday, September 28th One daily grade FOURTEEN You will submit this unit test in Blackboard, under Major Grades This is the unit test over the four short fiction stories we have studied.  The test is not timed.  You will access the test in Blackboard, under Major Grades, or here.  You will create a file and save it as Rich Text, just as the worksheets, and you will submit it in Major Grades in Blackboard. Due by midnight, Monday, February 27th First major grade; counts 15% of course FIFTEEN Submit this worksheet on the first drama ("Trifles) in Bb as a Rich Text file. You may access the worksheet either from the link here or from within Bb, but you must submit it in Daily Grades in Blackboard.  Click here to access once it opens. Due by midnight, Friday, March 2nd One daily grade SIXTEEN In Bb, do the fourth Discussion Board topic This is DB4.  It is accessible only from within Blackboard and will run through the entire Drama unit (two dramas). Runs through date to be announced in Blackboard.  Requires several postings. Part of attendance grade SEVENTEEN Submit this first of two worksheets on the second drama (A Doll's House) in Bb as a Rich Text file. You may access the worksheet either from the link here or from within Bb, but you must submit it in Daily Grades in Blackboard.  Click here to access once it opens. Due by midnight, Friday, March 9th One daily grade EIGHTEEN Submit this second of two worksheets on the second drama (A Doll's House) in Bb as a Rich Text file. You may access the worksheet either from the link here or from within Bb, but you must submit it in Daily Grades in Blackboard.  Click here to open. Due by midnight Wednesday, March 21st (the Wednesday after Spring Break) One daily grade NINETEEN You will submit this unit test in Blackboard, under Major Grades This is the unit test over the two dramas we have studied.  The test is not timed.  You will access the test in Blackboard, under Major Grades, or here.  You will create a file and save it as Rich Text, just as the worksheets, and you will submit it in Major Grades. Due by midnight, Monday, March 26th Third major grade; counts 15% of course TWENTY In Blackboard, submit the worksheet for the first poem, "Ballad of Birmingham" Before submitting this worksheet, first read the web links on poetic devices and poetic interpretive strategy, accessible either in the worksheet or in the Writing about Literature link in the menu bar of this Calendar.  Here is the link to the worksheet. Due by midnight, Friday, April 6th One daily grade TWENTY-ONE In Blackboard, submit the worksheet for the second poem, "The Road Not Taken" Before submitting this worksheet, first read the web links on poetic devices and poetic interpretive strategy, accessible either in the worksheet or in the Writing about Literature link in the menu bar of this Calendar.  Here is the link to the worksheet. Due by midnight, Monday, April 9th One daily grade TWENTY-TWO Submit your intro paragraph for your research paper in Blackboard as a Rich Text file. The link here will take you to complete instructions for the research paper project.  The first thing due is an intro paragraph.  Click here to read the instructions.  It would be wise to print these instructions. Due by Wednesday, April 4th One daily grade TWENTY-THREE In Bb, do the fifth (and last) Discussion Board topic This is DB5.  It is accessible only from within Blackboard and will close shortly before Thanksgiving.  Its two topics are the poetry worksheets and the research paper. Runs through date to be announced in Blackboard.  Requires several postings. Part of attendance grade TWENTY-FOUR In Blackboard, submit the worksheet for the third poem, "Digging" If need be, you can access the web links on poetic devices and interpretive strategy from within the assignment.  Here is the link to the worksheet. Due by Friday, April 13th One daily grade TWENTY-FIVE In Blackboard, submit the worksheet for the fourth poem, "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" If need be, you can access the web links on poetic devices and interpretive strategy from within the assignment.  Here is the link to the worksheet. Due by Friday, April 20th One daily grade TWENTY-SIX In Blackboard, submit the rough draft of your Works Cited page as a Rich Text file Before you can do this assignment, you must first find two secondary sources, then you must learn the MLA citation format.  The assignment in Bb provides links to help; those same links are accessible here in the Writing about Literature link. Due by Wednesday, April 18th One daily grade TWENTY-SEVEN In Blackboard, submit the worksheet for the fifth poem, "Richard Cory" If need be, you can access the web links on poetic devices and interpretive strategy from within the assignment.  Here is the link to the worksheet. Due by Monday, April 23rd One daily grade TWENTY-EIGHT In Blackboard, submit the worksheet for the sixth poem, "Eleanor Rigby" If need be, you can access the web links on poetic devices and interpretive strategy from within the assignment.  Here is the link to the worksheet. Due by Friday, April 27th One daily grade TWENTY-NINE In Blackboard, submit the worksheet for the seventh poem, "All Along the Watchtower" If need be, you can access the web links on poetic devices and interpretive strategy from within the assignment.  Here is the link to the worksheet. Due by Monday, April 30th One daily grade THIRTY In Blackboard, under Major Grades, submit your Research Paper as a Rich Text file. Submit this paper as a Rich Text file under Major Grades.  Click here to go to the link containing instructions. Due by midnight, Wednesday, May 2nd Fourth major grade; counts 15% of Course Grade THIRTY-ONE In Blackboard, under Final Exam, submit your test as a Rich Text file This final exam is open-book, untimed, and may be taken from your home, as with the other tests.  Click here to access the exam instructions.  Ten point late penalty per day until Thursday.  Finals received after Thursday will earn an F or lower.  Finals not received by Friday morning will earn a grade of zero.  The semester ends Friday, May 11th. Due by midnight, Tuesday, May 8th Counts 20% of Course Grade

mjordan@odessa.edu work: 432.335.6549 surface mail c/o Odessa College, 201 W. University, Odessa TX 79764