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ENGL 3410 Syllabus

Course Syllabus

ENGL 3410 - Classical Mythology

3 Credit Hours

Course Information

Course Description:

Survey of the major myths and legends of the classical world with an emphasis on Greek mythology.

Course Outcomes:
  • Becoming familiar with the major gods and goddesses in Greek religion, and their specific functions and roles;
  • Becoming familiar with the major legends and narratives in Greek mythology, including the Trojan Cycle and the return of Odysseus;
  • Gaining an understanding of the role of religion in ancient Greek life, including the presence of religious festivals and practices;
  • Reading a variety of primary source materials that render Greek myth and legend in aesthetic form and afford students the opportunity to experience some of the most important early texts in western literature; and
  • Understanding the presence and significance of Greek myths, legends, and concepts in our contemporary culture. 
Prerequisites & Co-requisites:

ENGL 1010, 1020, and either ENGL 2010, 2110, 2120, 2210, 2220, 2410 or 2420.

Course Topics:
  • Module One: Introduction to Greek Myth and Theories of Mythology
  • Module Two: The Greek Creation Myth and Prometheus
  • Module Three: The Twelve Olympians and the Divine Woman in Greek Mythology
  • Module Four: Apollo and Dionysus
  • Module Five: Heroic Narratives and the Afterlife
  • Module Six: The Greek Heroine and Medea
  • Module Seven: The Trojan War
  • Module Eight: The Quest of Odysseus
  • Module Nine: Dionysian Myth and the Birth of Drama
  • Module Ten: A Different Kind of Hero: The Quest of Odysseus
  • Module Eleven: The origins of Greek theater in the worship of Dionysus
  • Module Twelve: The origins of Greek theater in the worship of Dionysus 

 

Specific Course Requirements:

None

Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements

Required Textbooks:

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course. Move your cursor over the "Books" link in the navigation bar and select "Textbooks & Course Materials." Select your Program, Term, Department, and Course; then select "Submit."

Supplementary Materials:

Students must acquire a copy of "The King Must Die" by Mary Renault, any edition. It is available at the Virtual Bookstore, Amazon and many other libraries and book sellers. Please shop among your options to get the best price.

Hardware and Software Requirements:

Minimum hardware requirements can be found here.

Minimum software requirements can be found here.

Common applications you might need:

Web Resources:

Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab (for APA, MLA, or Chicago style)

The Writing Center Online Writer's Handbook

Student Resources:
  • Technical support information can be found on the TN eCampus Help Desk page.
  • Smarthinking virtual tutoring is available FREE of charge. to access Smarthinking, visit the course homepage and select Smarthinking under Course Resources. You also view sample sessions to see what Smarthinking offers and how it works.
  • Information on other student issues or concerns can be located on the TN eCampus Student Resources page.

Instructor Information

Please see "Instructor Information" in the Getting Started Module for instructor contact information, virtual office hours, and other communication information. You can expect to receive a response from the instructor within 24-48 hours unless notified of extenuating circumstances.

Participation, Assessments, & Grading

Testing Procedures:

Students will take both the midterm and final exams online with a specified time limitation. 

Grading Procedures:
  • Students will receive grades on all course activities, which will include two essays, eight discussion board postings, and a midterm and final examination.
  • Essay grades allow students to organize and synthesize their analyses and interpretations of the works studied; discussion board postings enable the student to offer reactions to and analyses of myths and legends studied and to read and respond to the ideas of other students.
  • The midterm and final exams will be objective in nature so that students can prove that they have read textbook chapters and other assigned reading carefully and actively.
  • Essays should be carefully and correctly written and should argue a thesis with appropriate evidence; discussion board postings should address the question answered in an objective and detailed way, and exams will assess the student’s retention of important material in the course.
  • All three types of assignments will provide the student with the opportunity to realize the learning outcomes of the course as stated above.
  • Excellence in all three assessment formats will constitute high achievement in the course. 
Description & Points
Eight discussion board postings worth 20 points each: 160 points (28%)
Two essays worth 100 points each:  200 points (36%)
Two exams worth 100 points each:  200 points (36%)
Total points: 560 points total 
Grading Scale:
Point RangeAssigned Grade
504-560A
448-503B
392-447C
336-391D
335 and BelowF

Graded Items

DescriptionPoints
8 Discussions @ 20 points each160 (28%)
2 Essays @ 100 points each200 (36%)
2 Exams @ 100 points each200 (36%)
Total Points560 (100%)

 

Assignments and Projects:
  • Students will write two essays, the first on Mary Renault’s The King Must Die and the second on Euripides’s The Baachae. Essay topics will be provided by the instructor.
  • In addition, students will take an objective midterm and final exam and will post eight discussion board responses; after each response is posted, the student will reply to the postings of three students. 
Class Participation:
  • Discussion board postings make up 28 percent of the final grade and are integral to a successful completion of the course.
  • The initial post will be in response to a question posed about the subject matter in the module, and students will then respond to at least three postings of their fellow students.
  • In addition, students are expected to converse with their instructor by e-mail about their progress in the course and are required to “check in” the course every forty-eight hours to read the announcements page and to answer any e-mail from the instructor. 
Late Policy:

Assignments are due at the day and time indicated on the due date page under "Getting Started" which will contain clearly defined due dates. Late assignments are not normally accepted and will receive a "0" grade, however, if you have extenuating circumstances requiring extra time it is incumbent upon you to get permission from the instructor to submit a late assignment. Discussion posts remain open but receiving a grade past the due date is dependent on receiving permission from the instructor for an emergency/illness or other serious issues.

Course Ground Rules

The following two statements (1., 2.) were derived from the TBR System-wide Student Rules document, released January 2012:

RULES OF THE TENNESSEE BOARD OF REGENTS STATE UNIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM OF TENNESSEE SYSTEMWIDE STUDENT RULES CHAPTER 0240-02-03 STUDENT CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS

Read the document in its entirety here.

1. Standards of Conduct:

  • Students are required to adhere to the same professional, legal and ethical standards of conduct online as on campus. In addition, students should conform to generally accepted standards of "netiquette" while sending e-mail, posting comments to the discussion board, and while participating in other means of communicating online. Specifically, students should refrain from inappropriate and/or offensive language, comments and actions.

2. Review the TN eCampus Academic Integrity/Academic Honesty Policy:

  • In their academic activities, students are expected to maintain high standards of honesty and integrity. Academic dishonesty is prohibited.

Such conduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • an attempt by one or more students to use unauthorized information in the taking of an exam
  • to submit as one's own work, themes, reports, drawings, laboratory notes, computer programs, or other products prepared by another person,
  • or to knowingly assist another student in obtaining or using unauthorized materials.

Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited.

Students guilty of academic misconduct, either directly or indirectly through participation or assistance, are subject to disciplinary action through the regular procedures of the student’s home institution.  Refer to the student handbook provided by your home institution to review the student conduct policy.

In addition to other possible disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed, the instructor has the authority to assign an "F" or zero for an activity or to assign an "F" for the course.

Other Course Rules:

Students are expected to:

  • Participate in all aspects of the course
  • Communicate with other students
  • Learn how to navigate in Brightspace
  • Keep abreast of course announcements
  • Use the assigned course management (Brightspace) email address rather than a personal email address
  • Address technical problems immediately:
  • Observe course netiquette at all times.

Guidelines for Communications

Email:

  • Always include a subject line.
  • Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
  • Use standard fonts.
  • Do not send large attachments without permission.
  • Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
  • Respect the privacy of other class members

Discussions:

  • Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.
  • Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
  • Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other’s ideas.
  • Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
  • Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
  • Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
  • Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in TN eCampus programs and courses. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading will be included within the course modules. To access the Virtual Library, go to the course homepage and select the Virtual Library link under Course Resources.

Students with Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this syllabus is for general information purposes only. While we endeavor to keep this information up-to-date and accurate, there may be some discrepancies between this syllabus and the one found in your online course. The syllabus of record is the one found in your online course. Please make sure you read the syllabus in your course at the beginning of the semester. Questions regarding course content should be directed to your instructor.


Last Revised on July 12, 2021