Experiential learning. In the beginning of the course we will practice that temporary but "willing suspension of disbelief," as Coleridge put it, that is essential to the experience of literature. Ww will do so to imagine what is was like to experience animals as children in indigenous cultures did, guided by Black Elk Speaks and Bless Me Ultima! This unit will culminate in a Native American rebirthing exercise in which we will choose our personal and totem animals.

  Emotional literacy. Once a week we attempt to recover some of the access to feelings we had in childhood by sharing what was best and worst in the previous week, with the focus on naming the emotions.

Schedule.8-29 Introduction; /Ethics/Leadership flags;9-3, Overview of Childhood and Animal Studies fields; 9-5 Totem Animals 9-10 + 9-12.Bless Me Ultima 9-17 Black Elk ; 9-19. P1 DUE ; 9-24  HRC Paradise Lost Genesis, Kipling; HRC 9-26 Paradise Regained Paradise Regained 1: Trimmer, etc.: Blake, Wordsworth, Thomas, et . HRC 10-1. Alice books; HRC 10-3 I. B. Singer HRC 10-8 Milne and others; HRC 10-10  Child Creativity: Carroll, the Brontes, the Rossettis + drawings + photography of children; 10-15 P1 HARD COPY DUE; 10-17 Paradise Regained 2 ;10-22 Carroll, The Snark, 10-24 Sylvie and Bruno, Poetry Planet of the Apes + Carroll's essays on vivisection;10-29 P2 Revised Due; 10-31+11-5, Planet of the Apes and  FernGully;11-7 Research Animals; 11-12 Cruelty to Children and Animals: Toni Morrison; 11-14  P3 Posted to Blackboard;11-19 Carnism, the Holocaust, I. B. Singer; 11-26 P3 Hard copy due; 12-3 + 12-5 Black Beauty. For more details see http://www.la.utexas.edu/users/bump/324/schedule.html

  Texts: [1] the Course Anthology;* [2] The Annotated Alice, [3] Black Beauty, [4] Bless Me Ultima, [5] House at Pooh Corner, and [6] Planet of the Apes.*FOR THE FIRST ASSIGNMENT, students will need the course anthology, which is a collection of xeroxed materials. It will be available from Jenn's, 2000 Guadalupe (basement of the Church of Scientology at 22nd and Guadalupe, 473-8669). It will cost about $100. Jenn’s takes major credit cards, of course. (If you don’t get there within the first few days you might want to call ahead to make sure they have a copy reserved for you.) *The Course Anthology for the first semester includes works by Virgil, Milton, Sarah Trimmer, Blake, Wordsworth, Christina Rossetti, Carroll, Kipling, W. B. Yeats, Kafka, E. M. Forster, I. B. Singer, Dylan Thomas, Toni Morrison, Richard Adams, Rodolpho Anaya, Yann Martel, Stephen Covey, Daniel Goleman, along with essays on children and society, sadism, carnism, and vivisection, and selections from the Bible, Black Elk Speaks, FernGully , etc.

 Grades. About 50% of the final grade will be determined by the multimedia projects (500 points total); 40% by quizzes and informal writing (400 points); and at least 10% by class discussion (100 points). 1200 points (out of 1,300 or more) are required for an A+ (unofficial grade); 1100 for an A; 1000 for an A-; 965 for a B+; 945 for a B; 900 for a B-; 865 for a C+; 845 for a C; 800 for a C-; 765 for a D+; 735 for a D; and 700 for a D-.

Informal writing and quizzes. Up to four-hundred points can be earned by daily quizzes (twenty points each) and/or blogs (twenty points). Blogs about the readings are due by 8 PM the night before the assignment is to be discussed in class. A satisfactory blog means that you can not fail the quiz, unless you get none right.

Daily class participation: up to nine points can be earned per class for being on time, bringing the right materials, etc. Our training in practical ethics will also include evaluation of student behavior as it affects other students, especially coming late to class and not responding adequately with peer critiques.

Class discussion penalties: students who talk to others while the speaker is talking and/or encourage this rude behavior with a willing ear, will have fifteen points deducted from their class participation/attendance grade for each incident. Egregious behavior such as sleeping in class, reading materials other than ours, using your cell phone, iPod, or computer during class, acting out, disrupting class, etc. will be subject to a thirty-point penalty for each incident. Students who insult, threaten, or harass others will have fifty points deducted from their grade for each incident, and be referred to the Dean of Students. - Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL): 512-232-5050

Lateness penalties: Students prepare for class discussion by being on time.  There will be heavier penalties for being late than for being absent. Why? Basically, because being absent does not disrupt the class and coming in late does.

            There are in fact three important reasons for penalizing lateness in this way: [1] To prepare you for the real world. Employers will not tolerate this kind of behavior. [2] To be courteous and respectful of your colleagues. [3] To avoid "enabling,"   tht is, to encourage repeat offenders to learn the lessons they need to learn. The ultimate reasons are found in the essay by Dr. Carl Pickhardt on the website. The key sentences in that document for a teacher are: “Maintain adult demands and expect young people to meet them. Accept no excuses, make no exceptions, and attempt no rescues. Listen respectfully and empathetically and do not criticize the young person for not measuring up to what college expected. Encourage learning more responsibility from facing consequences of how one chose to act. And support the courage to keep growing forward in life.” Hence, there will be no attendance or class participation credit for the first late appearance, -5 points for the second, double the penalty for the third, triple for the fourth, etc.  If anyone chooses to open the door for someone who comes late for the third time or more, they will receive the same penalties as the one who arrives late.

w,e/l = writing flag + ethics and leadership flag credits**

"This course carries the Writing flag. Writing flag courses are designed to give students experience with writing in an academic discipline. In this class, you can expect to write regularly during the semester, complete substantial writing projects, and receive feedback from your instructor to help you improve your writing. You will also have the opportunity to revise one or more assignments, and to read and discuss your peers' work. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from your written work."

 Digital Literacy. Writing projects will require digital literacy (multimedia and web skills) as well as print literacy. Because the "Five Characteristics of a Successful Student at U.T." include "Good computer skills" as well as "Strong writing skills," students will be expected to check their email frequently (maintaining the correct email address in the U.T. Direct system) along with the course Blogs and the Online Gradebook, especially the day before class. Students will use multimedia to fulfill all the writing requirements. There will be a closed Facebook site "to help students develop a small community within the larger whole" (CRUE).

 About the Professor. Jerome Bump has been awarded a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, a N. D. E. A. Fellowship, a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship, and the Jeanne Holloway and Chad Oliver awards for undergraduate teaching. He was an editor of Texas Studies in Language and Literature and has written Gerard Manley Hopkins and more than sixty chapters and articles. For more information about him, his teaching philosophy, or his courses see http://www.la.utexas.edu/users/bump/

 Other Course Policies.

Academic Ethics: Training in practical ethics also means that any work, any paragraph, any sentence submitted by a student in this course for academic credit must be the student's own work, unless the source is explicitly acknowledged. Paraphrasing the work of others without acknowledgement will result in an "F" in the course. Plagiarism will be punished more severely. For additional information on academic integrity, see http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/acadint.php

FERPA: students will be asked to give written permission to share certain graded documents with class members. (FERPA = http://registrar.utexas.edu/students/records/ferpa/)

Disabilities: The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 471-6259 (voice) or 232-2937 (video phone) or http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd

Religious Holy Days: By UT Austin policy, you must notify me of your pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, I will give you an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence.

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The following recommendations regarding emergency evacuation are from the Office of Campus Safety and Security, 512-471-5767, http://www.utexas.edu/safety/ :

- Occupants of buildings on The University of Texas at Austin campus are required to evacuate buildings when a fire alarm is activated. Alarm activation or announcement requires exiting and assembling outside.

- Familiarize yourself with all exit doors of each classroom and building you may occupy. Remember that the nearest exit door may not be the one you used when entering the building.

- Students requiring assistance in evacuation shall inform their instructor in writing during the first week of class.

- In the event of an evacuation, follow the instruction of faculty or class instructors.

- Do not re-enter a building unless given instructions by the following: Austin Fire Department, The University of Texas at Austin Police Department, or Fire Prevention Services office.

-Link to information regarding emergency evacuation routes and emergency procedures can be found at: www.utexas.edu/emergency

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“Stress Recess” Stressed by papers? Tests? Relationship issues? For these and other stressors, take a few minutes to check out a new interactive website called “Stress Recess” at http://www.cmhc.utexas.edu/stressrecess, a component of the UT Counseling and Mental Health Center. This site is loaded with videos, animation, video games, body scans, quizzes, clickable charts and graphics and practical information tailored to YOU. Learn what causes stress, signs of stress and—most importantly---what you can do to manage stress in healthy ways!

• Counseling and Mental Health Center:
  512-471-3515

• UT Telephone Counseling (24 hours/day, 7 days/week):
  512-471-CALL (2255)

• Behavior Concerns Advice Line (24 hours/day, 7 days/week):
  512-232-5050

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