Every class day, you will bring a typed, printed, one-page SRP with you to class in response to the day’s assignment. This will contain:

• Synopsis: a very short summary of the plot of today’s section. 2 sentence maximum.

·         Remarks: Discuss at least two points in the reading that stood out to you, that you would be willing to bring up in class discussion. Use a short quote from the text as a jumping-off point, and cite it by page number (or line number if from a poem). Your “R” section can also involve questions for further discussion, or potential paper ideas that came to mind while reading.

·         Parallels: Draw parallels between today’s reading and some aspect of a previous day’s. For the first week of class, you may draw parallels between today’s reading and anything – another book, a movie, etc. After the first week, you should draw a parallel between today’s reading and a previous reading for this class.

A successful SRP can be quite brief; a few thoughtful sentences with bulleted points for each category (S,R,P) can receive full credit. Keep your completed SRPs in a thin three-prong folder (NOT BINDER), and bring it with you to every class. They will be collected and graded at random points during the semester. Pickup dates cannot be made up unless you have emailed me that day’s SRP before class time.  These will make up a large part of your Participation grade for the course. An informative page on SRPs, including an example of one that would receive full credit, is on our course website: please read it before our next class and come to me with any questions.

What does a good SRP look like? 

At student request, I have put a sample SRP in the "Filing Cabinet" link on the main course webpage. You might follow its format. It is up to you. All SRPs MUST:

1. Have your name and the class date in the upper right corner
2. Have all three categories (S, R, P) addressed
3. Fit on ONE side of ONE page in your SRP journal - single spaced is OK if needed to fit.

What does a thin, three-prong folder look like?

 

 

 

 

Does it matter if my folder has pockets? 

No, all that matters is those three prongs in the middle. Hole-punch your SRPs and bind them on the prongs in order from oldest in the front to newest in the back.

 

What if I can't find a thin, three-prong folder? Is it okay to turn it in inside a binder instead? 

No.

What if there are several texts assigned for a day? 

Choose three to include in your "S" section, and then at least two items of note for R, and one parallel for P. 

Do I do more than one SRP per class day? 

No -- even if there are several texts assigned for the same day, you write ONE SRP per class day. 

Which day's reading do I write about? 

The assigned text for that day. For example, if the reading calendar said "1/14/09: The Bible" You would bring your SRP on The Bible to class with you for discussion on 1/14.

Is it okay for my SRP to be more than one page long? 

No. Single-spacing is okay if you have a lot to say. 

Should I use quotations from the text? 

A short quotation (with page or line number cited) can be a great place to start, especially for your "R" comments. It is not required for EVERY comment, but can be a very good choice, and should be used most of the time. 

On "Parallels," do we compare today's text to a different literary work from this course or from texts/films we have read/seen in the past?

For the first 2 weeks of class, you may use texts you knew previously to help you do well on the "P" section -- after the second week of class (and preferably earlier), you should draw a parallel between today's reading and a previous day's reading in this course.