Faculty

ENGL-1302 English Composition II

Amy Rostvold

Credit Fall 2025

Section(s)

ENGL-1302-011 (21100)
LEC MW 10:30am - 11:50am HLC HLC1 2103

Topical Focus

This class is a Liberal Arts Gateway course titled "What's Love Got To Do With It?"

In the rich history of human storytelling, the theme of love is perhaps the most ubiquitous and enduring. In this class, we use literature and film to explore the history and sociology of love, relationships, human connection, marriage, friendship and family. We also dive into pop culture – particularly popular music and film — as a way of understanding how our society communicates about love.

Course Requirements

This class is as LIBERAL ARTS GATEWEAY course that invites students to grow as writers and thinkers through deep investigation of a theme. This semester, we will explore the theme of LOVE in all its forms: romantic, platonic and familial.

In all of human storytelling history, the theme of love is perhaps the most ubiquitous and enduring. Through analysis of music, film, fiction, poetry and drama, we will:

explore the history and sociology of love, romance, relationships, gender, and marriage in the US.
read poetry and short fiction as a way of understanding familial, platonic and romantic love in different contexts.

deep dive into pop culture – primarily music and film – as a way of understanding how our society communicates about love.

Readings

– This is a ZTC course, and everything is on blackboard.

– Bring a laptop to class if you have one. And borrow one from ACC if you don’t.

Course Subjects

ENGL 1302 CLASS CALENDAR, FALL 2025

DATE

TOPICS and READINGS

What’s DUE this Week?

Week 1:

M 8/25

W 8/27

M: Intro to class/Syllabus

W: “I Want A Wife”

Proof of ENGL 1301 grade due by FRIDAY 8/29

Week 2:

M 9/1

W 9/3

M: Labor Day, No Class

W: finish “I Want A Wife” / Plath: “The Applicant”

Prep for project 1

Read “Why Marriage Survives” for class on Monday

Week 3:

M 9/8

W 9/10

M: “Why Marriage Survives” / project 1 Q & A

W: Writing Workshop, project 1, draft 1

M 9/8 “Why Marriage Survives” Reader Response

W 9/10: Project 1, draft 1 due by class time

Week 4:

M 9/15

W 9/17

M: “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

W: class spotify activity / finish “The Yellow Wallpaper”

M 9/15: “Yellow Wallpaper” Reader Response in class

W 9/17: SLIDE due today Project 1, draft 2 due by end of the day

Week 5:

M 9/22

W 9/24

M: film elements + start project 2 in groups

W: project 2 group discussion continued

Work on group presentations for project 2!

Week 6:

M 9/29

W 10/1

M: Othello day 1

W: Othello day 2

Work on project 2!

Week 7:

M 10/6

W 10/8

M: Othello day 3

W: Writing Workshop, project 2, draft 1

W 10/8: Project 2, draft 1 due by class time

Week 8:

M 10/13

W 10/15

M: “The Sun, The Moon, The Stars” by Junot Diaz

W: project 2 group presentations (popcorn day!)

M 10/13: “The Sun…” Reader Response

W 10/15: Project 2 group presentations/ draft 2 due by end of day

DATE

LESSONS & ACTIVITIES

What’s DUE this Week?

Week 9:

M 10/22

W 10/24

M: “The Paper Menagerie” by Ken Liu

W: “”Two Kinds” by Amy Tan

M 10/22: Reading Quiz “The Paper Menagerie”

W 10/24: Reading Quiz, “Two Kinds”

Week 10:

M 10/27

W 10/29

M: Poetry Day 1: Grief and Loss

W: “Two Words” by Isabel Allende

W 10/29: Reader Response “Two Words”

Week 11:

M 11/3

W 11/5

M: Her full length film / intro project 3

W: discussion, Her

W 11/5: Finish Her & submit proj. 3 research question

Week 12:

M 11/10

W 11/12

M: “Who We Are” by Camille Acker

W: Writing Workshop Project 3, Draft 1

M 11/10: Reader Response “Who We Are”

W 11/12: : Project 3, draft 1 by class time

Week 13:

M 11/17

W 11/19

M: Poetry day 2: Love and Adoration

W: “How To Tell A True War Story” by Tim O’Brien

M 11/17: Project 3, draft 2 due by end of the day

W 11/19: Reading Quiz: “How To Tell A True War Story”

Week 14:

M 11/24

W 11/26

M: “For Esme – With Love and Squalor” by JD Salinger

W: Take the LOVE quiz! (No class, Thanksgiving Break)

M 11/24: Reader Response “For Esme…”

W 11/26: love quiz ♥️

Week 15

M 12/1

W 12/3

M: in-class writing for project 4 / finish “Esme” discussion

W: LOVE QUIZ results / Peer edit project 4, draft 1

M 12/1: in-class writing (project 4)

W 12/3: Project 4, Draft 1 due by class time

Week 16

M 12/8

W 12/10

M prep for in-class essay

W: Final Exam: In-Class Essay

M 12/8: Project 4, Draft 2 due by end of the day

W 12/10: final exam

Student Learning Outcomes/Learning Objectives

Course Overview
In Composition II, students will deepen their practice in analytical and persuasive writing, with a
significant focus on incorporating research. Students will learn to write effectively within academic
and other public writing contexts. Toward this end, students will analyze texts chosen by the
instructor (these texts may be primarily literary or may be drawn from other fields), and they will
1

Updated Spring 2022

conduct independent research with the help and guidance of the instructor.
Course Objectives/Rationale
The goals of Composition II are to promote
● Critical thinking, reading, writing, and research within an intercultural context
● Clear, coherent, confident, and effective communication
● Collaborative learning
● Literary and other textual analysis
● Rhetorical methods, research strategies, and conventions of MLA documentation
Course Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of English 1302, students will be able to
● Analyze and interpret a variety of texts through literary, critical, and/or contextual approaches.
● Write objectively, concisely, and analytically in a style that clearly communicates meaning, builds credibility,
and inspires belief or action
● Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative research processes
● Develop ideas and synthesize primary and secondary sources within focused academic arguments,
including two or more research-based essays
● Analyze, interpret, and evaluate a variety of texts for the ethical and logical uses of evidence
● Apply the conventions of style manual appropriate to the English discipline (MLA)