Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2026

American Literature I (Face-to-Face)

ENGL 3210-01

Course: ENGL 3210-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2026
Department: English
CRN: 31567

Course Description

This course takes an immersive approach to pre-1865 American literature, centering our entire semester on three significant works: Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself,” Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, and Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. By focusing on just three literary works rather than surveying dozens of texts, we’ll engage in more careful, deliberate reading that explores how these books shaped American literature and culture as it grappled with democracy, identity, freedom, and moral crisis. Through close reading, discussion, and analysis, you’ll craft sample interpretive essays on each text and develop your skills as a literary critic. Then, in collaborative workshops, you’ll transform one essay into a polished work of literary scholarship and deliver it as a conference-style presentation.

Required Texts

  • Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass: The First (1855) Edition, Penguin Classics. ISBN: 978-0140421996 
  • Herman Melville, Moby-Dick, Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition. ISBN: 978-0143105954
  • Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Norton Library Edition. ISBN: 978-0393871593

Note on editions: Please get these editions. It makes class discussions easier when everybody can literally be on the same page. I have chosen good, but cost-effective, editions that are widely available both new and used.

Learning Outcomes

  • Students will be able to perform sustained close readings of pre-1865 American literature, analyzing how specific textual details (language, form, imagery, structure) produce meaning.
  • Students will be able to construct original interpretive arguments about literary texts, supporting a clear claim with well-chosen textual evidence.
  • Students will be able to situate Whitman, Melville, and Stowe within the literary, cultural, and historical contexts of pre-Civil War America, including debates over democracy, identity, freedom, and moral crisis.
  • Students will be able to locate, evaluate, and integrate scholarly secondary sources into their own literary arguments, with accurate MLA citation.
  • Students will be able to revise substantially through drafting and peer review, transforming an initial interpretation into a polished work of literary scholarship.
  • Students will be able to present literary criticism orally in a conference-style format, communicating an argument clearly to an audience of peers.

Course Requirements


Assignments:

Grading:

10% Participation
15% Close Reading Labs
30% Draft Papers
  • “Song of Myself”
  • Moby-Dick
  • Uncle Tom’s Cabin
10% Peer Reviews
15% Paper Presentation
20% Polished Paper

Grading scale: A= 90-100%; B+=87-89%; B=80-86%; C+= 77-79%; C=70-76%; D+= 67-69%  D= 60-66%; F= 59% or lower

Description of Assignments:

Participation
Your participation will be a weekly grade that moves beyond more than just mere attendance and focuses more on your engagement in the course. It includes coming to class regularly and on time, paying attention while in class, participating in small groups, and contributing to whole class discussions. It can also include things like attending office hours to discuss texts (if for example, you don’t feel comfortable sharing your thoughts in class or have been absent).


Close Reading Labs
You will submit close reading paragraphs at the conclusion of each Close Reading Lab day. This will be one solid paragraph offering a close reading of one quote/passage from the week’s reading.


Draft Papers
You will submit 3 draft papers in the first part of the semester, one for each of the major texts we will be studying: “Song of Myself,” Moby-Dick, and Uncle Tom’s Cabin. These Draft papers will be 3-4 pages long and consist of a literary analysis argument based on close reading of the text.


Peer Reviews
You will complete peer reviews for your essays in the last part of the semester.


Paper Presentation
You will give a 10 minute conference-style presentation based on your Polished Paper.


Polished Paper
You will take one of your Draft Papers from the first part of the semester and develop it into a 6-8 page essay or polished writing. This Polished Paper will be a literary analysis that incorporates your close reading of the text, as well as at least two scholarly sources of literary criticism.

Course Outline


Disclaimer: Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor. In the event that there are changes to the syllabus, I will notify you both in-person and electronically.




Course Schedule:


Text 1: Walt Whitman, “Song of Myself”


Week 1


W 9/2


Introductions and Course Overview


Poem #1: William Cullen Bryant, “Thanatopsis
Links to an external site.


 


F 9/4


Read: Whitman, “Song of Myself,” sections 1–8


Close Reading Lab


 


Week 2


M 9/7 – No Class, Labor Day


W 9/9


Read: “Song of Myself,” sections 9–24


Poem #2: Anne Bradstreet, “The Author to Her Book
Links to an external site.


 


F 9/11


Close Reading Lab


Read: “Song of Myself,” sections 25–33


 


Week 3


M 9/14


Read: “Song of Myself,” sections 34–43


 


W 9/16


Read: “Song of Myself,” sections 44–52


 


F 9/18


Close Reading Lab


Text 2: Moby-Dick


Week 4


M 9/21


Due: “Song of Myself” draft paper


Read: Melville, Moby-Dick, Etymology, Extracts, ch. 1–9


 


W 9/23


Read: Moby-Dick, ch. 10–22


 


F 9/25


Read: Moby-Dick, ch. 23–35


Close Reading Lab


 


Week 5


M 9/28


Read: Moby-Dick, ch. 36–47


Poem #5: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “The Building of the Ship
Links to an external site.


 


W 9/30


Read: Moby-Dick, ch. 48–60


 


F 10/2


Read: Moby-Dick, ch. 61–73


Close Reading Lab


 


Week 6


M 10/5


Poem #6: Ralph Waldo Emerson, “The Sphinx
Links to an external site.


Read: Moby-Dick, ch. 74–86


 


W 10/7


Read: Moby-Dick, ch. 87–98


 


F 10/9


Read: Moby-Dick, ch. 99–110


Close Reading Lab


 


Week 7


M 10/12


Poem #7: Frederick Goddard Tuckerman, “Roll on, sad World!
Links to an external site.


Read: Moby-Dick, ch. 111–124


 


W10/14


Read: Moby-Dick, ch. 25–135 + Epilogue


 


F 10/16


Close Reading Lab


 


Text 3: Uncle Tom’s Cabin


Week 8


M 10/19 – Fall Break ,No class


 


W 10/21


Due:
Moby-Dick draft paper


Poem #8: Frances E. W. Harper, “Eliza Harris
Links to an external site.


Read: Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, ch. 1–7


 


F 10/23


Read: Uncle Tom’s Cabin, ch. 8–14


Close Reading Lab


 


Week 9


M 10/26


Poem #9: Lydia Huntley Sigourney, “Death of an Infant
Links to an external site.


Read: Uncle Tom’s Cabin, ch. 15–21


 


W 10/28


Read: Uncle Tom’s Cabin, ch. 22–28


 


F 10/30


Read: Uncle Tom’s Cabin, ch. 29–33


Close Reading Lab


 


Week 10


M 11/2


Read: Uncle Tom’s Cabin, ch. 34–40


 


W 11/4


Read: Uncle Tom’s Cabin, ch. 41–45 + Concluding Remarks


 


F 11/6


Close Reading Lab


 


Week 11


M 11/9


Due:
Uncle Tom’s Cabin draft paper


Selecting your paper; peer review of all three drafts in groups


 


W 11/11


Finding sources: databases, MLA Bibliography, following citation trails


 


F 11/13


How to read scholarly articles


 


Week 12


M 11/16


Due: Annotated Bibliography and Outline


 


W 11/18


Draft workshop and Presentation Guidelines


 


F 11/20


First-five minutes of presentations (in groups)


 


Week 13 – Thanksgiving Break – No Classes


 


Week 14


M 11/30


Paper presentations


 


W 12/2


Paper presentations


 


F 12/4


Paper presentations


 


Week 15


M 12/7


Paper presentations


 


W 12/9


Paper presentations


 


F 12/11 – Last Day of Class


Paper presentations


 


Final Exam: 


Tuesday, Dec. 15, 11:00 am - 12:50 pm (overflow presentations, if needed)


Final Polished Paper Due

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

You will turn in most of your major assignments online. It is your responsibility to make sure that your submission goes through, which means going back after you have uploaded your assignment to double check that it is there. Computer problems are not a valid excuse for late or missing work. If you are having trouble uploading an assignment from your home computer, go to the library and upload it from there. Plan ahead.

All assignments that are turned in late will be deducted 10% for each 24-hour-period after the stated deadline. In-class work cannot be made-up.

Extensions are negotiable. If you anticipate needing more time for an assignment, you must get in touch with me at least two days before the assignment is due. Together we will arrive at a later due date. I will hold you to that new due date and deduct points if you miss it. Do not email me the day before something is due to ask for an extension; I will refuse. Plan ahead. I reserve the right to refuse extensions.

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance is crucial to your success in this course because, during class time, we review and discuss major assignments, discuss and analyze readings, and work on essays and assignments (individually and in groups). Being more than 10 minutes late to class = 1 absence. 

You are allowed 6 “free” absences where you don’t have to attend class for whatever reason. If you have 7 or more absences, your final grade will be docked 10 points (or one full letter grade). Note: the absence penalty is not cumulative; in other words it’s the same penalty if you miss 7 classes or 20 classes.

You are responsible for the material covered and assignments due during those missed classes. Class sessions will not be recorded, so you will need to consult with a classmate to get notes when you are absent.

The only excused absences are official university activities, religious holidays, military service, and medical emergencies. If you are absent for excused absences, you must notify me by email 24 hours prior to your absence for your absence to be excused. In the case of medical emergencies, notify me as soon as you are able to and provide necessary documentation.

Course Fees

Content for this section will be provided by the instructor.

Student AI Guidance

Generative AI tools are not banned in this class, as they are now a part of how people write. While AI is not banned, there are many instances in which your learning in this course can be hindered or compromised with improper use of AI tools. The following policies will help ensure that you use AI responsibly and ethically in this class.


Use AI to learn, not to bypass learning:
There are many ways that AI can be used as a legitimate assistive part of your learning and  writing processes. The question you must ask yourself is if your use of AI is helping you engage more deeply with your learning and writing processes, or whether it is allowing you to disengage from it. For each assignment, I will provide suggestions with what types of AI usage will be helpful, and which will be detrimental to your learning.


You are responsible for everything you turn in:
Every assignment you turn in is your responsibility, including its accuracy, sources, and ideas. Generative AI can fabricate sources and quotes, misrepresent facts, and produce confident-sounding, but empty filler sentences. If your submitted work contains fabricated sources or quotes, inaccurate information, or passages you cannot explain or defend, you will be held accountable for that and incur the following penalties. The first assignment submitted with these kinds of errors will receive a zero with the opportunity to revise and resubmit. The second assignment submitted with these kinds of errors will result in your failing the entire course with no opportunity to revise and resubmit.


Be honest about how you work:
If you use AI in your writing process, you are encouraged but not required to disclose that usage. Honest AI disclosure can be uncomfortable, especially when expectations around AI are still shifting and inconsistent. I ask you to do it anyway because misrepresenting your process undermines your own credibility and your relationship with me as your instructor. It is also difficult to provide helpful feedback to you on assignments if I am unsure of how you crafted your assignments.


Respect privacy:
Do not upload your classmates’ work or any other person’s writing to an AI tool without their explicit permission. When working with generative AI, be thoughtful about what you share with it as AI platforms may store, train on, or expose the data you provide to it.

I do not use AI detection software to evaluate your work. I believe that trust and honest dialogue are more effective and fair than surveillance tools, which are unreliable and discriminatory.


Ask questions:
AI is a new and evolving field, and nobody has all the answers, including me. If you are unsure if a particular use of AI is appropriate, ask me before submitting an assignment.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.