Mosaic 851 11 Intellectual Heritage Program Mosaic: Humanities Seminar 851 Section 094, Fall 2015 MWF 9:00 – 9:50 a.m. Gladfelter 310 Prerequisites English 802 or its equivalent. Instructor John A. Dern, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Instruction in Intellectual Heritage. Office: 714 Anderson Hall. Office hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday 11:00 - 11:45 a.m.; Monday 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.; and Wednesday 8:00 - 8:45 a.m. I am also available by appointment. My e-mail address is [email protected] E-mail is the best way to contact me outside of class. Generally, students can expect a response within 24 hours. As a rule, though, I do not check my e-mail after 6:00 p.m. and not always on Saturdays. Office Phone: 215-204-2936. Course Description and Goal The goal of "Mosaic: Humanities Seminar 851" is to introduce students to literary, philosophical and religious texts that are challenging in at least one of several ways: rhetorically, historically or culturally. Through these texts and through discussion-intensive classes, students will explore universal themes while building skills in critical and analytical thinking, reading and writing. By the end of the Mosaic sequence, students should be able to contextualize arguments and apply their newly honed critical skills to courses in any field or to any intellectual endeavor. Texts The Epic of Gilgamesh 9780140449198 Homer, The Iliad 0872203522 The Bhagavad-Gita 0553213652 Genesis Plato, The Trials of Socrates 9780872205895 Edgar Allan Poe, "The Black Cat" (e-text) Charles Baudelaire, Paris Spleen 0811200078 All printed texts should be available in the Temple University Bookstore. Report any difficulty in obtaining texts to the instructor as soon as possible. Every student must have his or her own hard copies of texts for each class. Failure to have hard copies of texts on three occasions may result in an "F" for the attendance/participation portion of the final grade. Attendance and Participation Because this course utilizes class participation as a primary means toward learning, attendance is required. Each student will be permitted four absences before absences may begin to affect a student's final grade, but students should endeavor not to miss any classes. Excessive absences may affect the final grade as follows: five absences may result in an "F" for the attendance/participation portion of the grade; six absences may result in a deduction of two full grade levels from the final grade, so an "A" would become a "C"; and seven absences may result in an "F" for the course. If a student must miss a class, he or she is nonetheless responsible for the assigned work. All written work must be turned in on time! Any special problems that prevent a student's full participation in the course should be discussed with the instructor as soon as possible. Excused absences will be granted only in the case of extreme circumstances and only at the instructor's discretion. (The instructor reserves ...

1. Mosaic 851 11
Intellectual Heritage Program
Mosaic: Humanities Seminar 851
Section 094, Fall 2015
MWF 9:00 – 9:50 a.m.
Gladfelter 310
Prerequisites
English 802 or its equivalent.
Instructor
John A. Dern, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Instruction in
Intellectual Heritage. Office: 714 Anderson Hall. Office hours:
Monday, Wednesday and Friday 11:00 - 11:45 a.m.; Monday
2:00 – 3:30 p.m.; and Wednesday 8:00 - 8:45 a.m. I am also
available by appointment. My e-mail address is
[email protected] E-mail is the best way to contact me outside
of class. Generally, students can expect a response within 24
hours. As a rule, though, I do not check my e-mail after 6:00
p.m. and not always on Saturdays. Office Phone: 215-204-2936.
Course Description and Goal
The goal of "Mosaic: Humanities Seminar 851" is to introduce
students to literary, philosophical and religious texts that are
challenging in at least one of several ways: rhetorically,
historically or culturally. Through these texts and through

2. discussion-intensive classes, students will explore universal
themes while building skills in critical and analytical thinking,
reading and writing. By the end of the Mosaic sequence,
students should be able to contextualize arguments and apply
their newly honed critical skills to courses in any field or to any
intellectual endeavor.
Texts
The Epic of Gilgamesh 9780140449198
Homer, The Iliad 0872203522
The Bhagavad-Gita 0553213652
Genesis
Plato, The Trials of Socrates 9780872205895
Edgar Allan Poe, "The Black Cat" (e-text)
Charles Baudelaire, Paris Spleen 0811200078
All printed texts should be available in the Temple University
Bookstore. Report any difficulty in obtaining texts to the
instructor as soon as possible. Every student must have his or
her own hard copies of texts for each class. Failure to have hard
copies of texts on three occasions may result in an "F" for the
attendance/participation portion of the final grade.
Attendance and Participation
Because this course utilizes class participation as a primary
means toward learning, attendance is required. Each student
will be permitted four absences before absences may begin to
affect a student's final grade, but students should endeavor not
to miss any classes. Excessive absences may affect the final

3. grade as follows: five absences may result in an "F" for the
attendance/participation portion of the grade; six absences may
result in a deduction of two full grade levels from the final
grade, so an "A" would become a "C"; and seven absences may
result in an "F" for the course. If a student must miss a class, he
or she is nonetheless responsible for the assigned work. All
written work must be turned in on time!
Any special problems that prevent a student's full participation
in the course should be discussed with the instructor as soon as
possible. Excused absences will be granted only in the case of
extreme circumstances and only at the instructor's discretion.
(The instructor reserves the right to request documentation
when appropriate.)
Note: the attendance/participation portion of the course grade is
a combinationgrade. Perfect attendance alone does not
guarantee an "A," nor does exuberant participation in the light
of excessive absences. This grade may also be affected by a
lack of participation in the Discussion Board (see below). Last,
the instructor does not consider attentiveness to be
participation. Rather, participation includes vocally engaging
the instructor and the class during discussions, and contributing
to group work.
Students are encouraged to participate in a self-evaluation of
their attendance and participation performance. Please see the
self-evaluation form at the end of the syllabus for details.
Students who choose not to evaluate themselves understand that
the instructor will determine their attendance and participation
grades based on his own best judgment.
Policy on Electronic Devices
As a rule, electronic devices MUST BE PUT AWAY during
class unless a student has obtained special permission from the

4. instructor or unless the instructor asks students to use their
devices as part of a class exercise. Any student seen texting
during class will be counted as absent for that day. Students
may not use laptops unless they have obtained permission from
the instructor.
Course Requirements
Students are expected not only to attend class, but also to
participate in class discussions. This course depends heavily on
class discussion. As a result, in the final evaluation, class
participation will figure significantly. In addition, students must
complete one paper of approximately 700 words (about
two/three typed, double-spaced pages) and one paper of
approximately 900 words (about three typed, double-spaced
pages). There will also be mandatory revisions of both papers.
(See below for more information about the papers.)
In addition to writing papers, students will participate in the
Discussion Board on Blackboard. Students must post one
comment before the midterm exam and one comment after the
midterm exam. Students are encouraged to engage other
students' comments throughout the semester. Specific subject
matter for posts is open to students' discretion, but all posts
must be textually or thematically critical. DO NOT
INCORPORATE WEB LINKS OR OTHER MEDIA INTO
POSTS! Failure to post at least one comment for each half of
the semester may result in a penalty for the
attendance/participation portion of the course grade. One
missed post may result in a one-grade reduction from the
attendance/participation grade, and two missed posts a two-
grade deduction from the attendance/participation grade.
Students must also meet personally with the instructor at least
once this semester.
Last, students must pass midterm and final examinations.

5. Grading
Final grades will be weighted as follows:
Attendance/Participation
10%
Paper One
05%
Revision One
10%
Paper Two
10%
Revision Two

6. 15%
Midterm Exam
25%
Final Exam
25%
____________________________
100%

7. To determine students' final grades, the instructor will convert
all letter and number grades to letters. The range for number
grade conversion is as follows: 100-94/A; 93-90/A-; 89-87/B+;
86-84/B; 83-80/B-; 79-77/C+; 76-74/C; 73-70/C-; 69-67/D+; 66-
64/D; 63-60/D-.
Once all grades have been converted to letters, the instructor
will apply a standard 4.00 scale to all of the grades and, using
the percentages listed above, calculate the final grades by, as a
general rule, rounding each result to the nearest hundredth. The
4.00 scale is as follows: 4.00/A; 3.67/A-; 3.33/B+; 3.00/B;
2.67/B-; 2.33 C+; 2.00/C; 1.67/C-; 1.33/D+; 1.00/D; 0.67/D-.
During the process of calculating final grades, the instructor
will endeavor to consider intangibles such as quality of class
participation, but he reserves the right to adhere to the
percentages and grading process described above.
THE INSTRUCTOR DOES NOT NEGOTIATE GRADES!
The attendance/participation grades, final exam grades and final
grades will be posted to Blackboard at the end of the semester.
Students are encouraged to keep a personal record of all other
grades.
Plagiarism and Cheating
(This information is from the College of Liberal Arts Sample
Syllabus. It has been edited for use in this syllabus. Itaccurately
reflects CLA policy.Please see the instructor if you have any
questions about what constitutes plagiarism or cheating.)
Temple University believes strongly in academic honesty and
integrity. Plagiarism and academic cheating are prohibited.
Essential to intellectual growth is the development of

8. independent thought and a respect for the thoughts of others.
The prohibition against plagiarism and cheating is intended to
foster this independence and respect.
Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of another person's labor,
another person's ideas, another person's words or another
person's assistance. Normally, all work done for courses—
papers, examinations, homework exercises, oral presentations—
is expected to be the individual effort of the student presenting
the work. Any assistance must be reported to the instructor. If
the work has entailed consulting other resources—journals,
books, or other media—these resources must be cited in a
manner appropriate to the course. It is the instructor's
responsibility to indicate the appropriate manner of citation.
(For our Mosaic course, MLA style will guide citation.)
Everything used from other sources—suggestions for
organization of ideas, ideas themselves, or actual language—
must be cited. Failure to cite borrowed material constitutes
plagiarism. Undocumented use of materials from the World
Wide Web is plagiarism.
Academic cheating is, generally, the thwarting or breaking of
the general rules of academic work or the specific rules of the
individual courses. It includes falsifying data; submitting,
without the instructor's approval, work in one course which was
done for another; helping others to plagiarize or cheat from
one's own or another's work; or actually doing the work of
another person.
Students must assume that all graded assignments and tests are
to be completed individually unless otherwise noted in writing
in this syllabus. On a first incident, the instructor may refer the
case of suspected plagiarism or cheating to the Intellectual
Heritage Program; he also reserves the right to assign a grade of
"F" for the given paper or test. A second incident of plagiarism
or cheating may result in an "F" for the course and referral to

9. Temple's Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards.
The instructor will assume that all students have read and
understand Temple University's Student Code of Conduct. Any
questions about this policy must be discussed with the instructor
within the first three weeks of class. Please see the following
link:
http://www.temple.edu/studentaffairs/policies/student-code-
conduct.asp
Students with Disabilities
This course is open to all students who meet the academic
requirements for participation. Any student who has a need for
accommodation based on the impact of a disability should
contact the instructor privately to discuss the specific situation
as soon as possible. Contact Disability Resources and Services
at 215-204-1280 for more information.
Statement on Academic Freedom
Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of
academic freedom. The university has adopted a policy on
Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities.
Please see the following link:
http://policies.temple.edu/getdoc.asp?policy_no=03.70.02
Tutoring
The Intellectual Heritage Program offers tutoring for all IH
students. The tutoring schedule for this semester will be posted
to Blackboard as soon as it becomes available. All tutoring will
take place in the IH lounge, 215A Anderson Hall.
Assignment Schedule
8/24: Introduction. Syllabus.

10. 8/26: Lecture on critical reading. The Epic of Gilgamesh, Tablet
I
8/28: Gilgamesh, Tablets II-IV.
8/31: Gilgamesh, Tablets V-VIII.
9/2: Gilgamesh, Tablets IX-XI.
9/4: Finish Gilgamesh. First Essay Assignment Posted to
Blackboard.
Last Day to Drop or Add a Course!
9/7: Labor Day. No Class.
9/9: Homer, The Iliad, Books 1, 3-4.
9/11: Homer, Books 5-7. First Essay Due!
9/14: Homer, Books 8-9.
9/16: Homer, Books 10-12.
9/18: Homer, Books 14-16.
9/21: Homer, Books 17-19.
9/23: Homer, Books 20-21.
9/25: Temple Closed. No Class.
9/28: Homer, Books 22, 24.
9/30: Writing workshop.
10/2: The Bhagavad-Gita, Teachings 1-6.
10/5: The Bhagavad-Gita, Teachings 7-13. First Essay Revision

11. Due!
10/7: The Bhagavad-Gita, Teachings 14-18.
10/9: Review. First Half Discussion Board Post Due!
10/12: Midterm Exam!
10/14: Plato, Euthyphro, in The Trials of Socrates.
10/16: Plato, Apology, in The Trials of Socrates.
10/19: Plato, Crito and Phaedo in The Trials of Socrates.
10/20: Last Day to Withdraw from a Course!
10/21: Xenophon, Socrates's Defense to the Jury in The Trials
of Socrates.
10/23: Finish Plato.
10/26: Genesis, Chapters 1-4. Second Essay Assignment Posted
to Blackboard.
10/28: Genesis, Chapters 5-9.
10/30: Genesis, Chapters 10-14.
11/2: Genesis, Chapters 14-18.
11/4: Genesis. Chapters 19-25.
11/6: Genesis, Chapters 25-30.
11/9: Genesis, Chapters 31-36 . Second Essay Due!
11/11: Poe Video.
11/13: Poe, Review of Twice-Told Tales.
11/16: Poe, "The Black Cat."

12. 11/18: Poe, The Black Cat."
11/20: Baudelaire, Paris Spleen.
11/23-11-27: Fall Break!
11/30: Baudelaire, Paris Spleen.
12/2: Baudelaire, Paris Spleen.
12/4: Baudeaire, Paris Spleen.
12/7: Review. OptionalSelf-Evaluation Forms Due! Second Half
Discussion Board Post Due! Second Essay Revision Due!
12/8-12/9: Study Days!
Final Exam: Wednesday, December 16th, 8:00 – 10:00 a.m.
About the Papers
The papers students will write this semester will be interpretive
papers, not research papers. In other words, students are not
expected to cite sources outside of the assigned readings; they
need do no library research for the papers. However, students
are expected to do close readings of the assigned texts and to
analyze and critique specific passages.
Students will find topics posted on Blackboard in the
"Assignments" folder at least one week before each essay is
due. The topic for the first essay (about 700 words) will focus
on The Epic of Gilgamesh. (Students will also do a mandatory
revision of this essay.)
The topic for the second essay (about 900 words) will involve
two texts: students will develop a coherent essay synthesizing
two specific texts.

13. All papers must be typed and double-spaced!
Follow the following (MLA) format for essays. First Page
Format (Header):
Jane Student
(2 sp)
Prof. John A. Dern
(2 sp)
Mosaic: Humanities Seminar 851
(2 sp)
September 11, 2015
(2 sp)
Title
(2 sp)
Indent five spaces and begin paper….
NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT BIND THE PAPERS IN ANY WAY
OTHER THAN WITH A STAPLE IN THE UPPER LEFT-HAND
CORNER!!
Quoting
Students are expected to quote from texts in both papers. For
quoting from poetic texts (The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Iliad and

14. The Bhagavad-Gita) see the handout on that subject in the
"Assignments" folder on Blackboard.
For other texts, use parenthetical citation as you quote,
according to MLA style. A guide to MLA style can be found in
the "Assignments" folder. Consider the following examples:
In Euthyphro, Socrates tells the title character that he wishes to
know the form of piety: "Then teach me what that characteristic
itself is, in order that by concentrating on it and using it as a
model, I may call pious any action of yours or anyone else's that
is such as it, and may deny to be pious whatever isn't such as it"
(Plato 11).
At the beginning of "The Black Cat," the narrator claims, "For
the most wild, yet most homely narrative which I am about to
pen, I neither expect nor solicit belief" (Poe).
In short, the parentheses at the end of a quote should contain
the author's name and the page number from which the quote
comes. If you use the author's name in the text preceding the
quote, you do not need to place the author's name in the
parentheses. If you cite an e-text, you may not need to include
pagination. Place parenthetical documentation BEFORE a final
period, as above.
Block Quoting
Block quotes follow the same rules as standard quotes in terms
of parenthetical documentation. However, block quotes, which
are long quotes of about sixty words or more, must be formatted
differently. Indent all block quotes ten spaces and DO NOT put
quote marks around them. Also, place the parenthetical
documentation AFTER the period or last mark of punctuation in
the quote. Generally, introduce block quotes with colons. See
the following example:

15. Genesis describes the moment when Adam and Eve succumb to
sin, losing their prelapserian innocence:
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and
that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be
desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she
also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate.
Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they
were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made
loincloths for themselves. (Gen. 3.6-7)
No matter which way you quote, endeavor to quote accurately!
Also, avoid using ellipsis points! Quote in full or break parts of
a quoted passage into two quotes with separate lead-ins. Please
see the instructor with questions!
Works Cited, Sample Entries
Each paper must include works cited entries for all texts cited.
(You may add an extra page at the end of the paper for these
entries, but you need not do so if the entries will fit at the
bottom of the last page of text.) Use the following (MLA)
format for the bibliographic entries for texts assigned in this
class:
Works Cited
Baudelaire, Charles. Paris Spleen. Trans. Louise Varèse. New
York: New Directions, 1970.
The Bhagavad-Gita. Trans. Barbara Stoler Miller. New York:
Bantam, 1986.
The Epic of Gilgamesh. Trans. Andrew George. London:
Penguin, 2003.

16. The Holy Bible. New Revised Standard Version. Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 1989.
Homer. The Iliad. Trans. Stanley Lombardo. Indianapolis:
Hackett, 1997.
Plato. Euthyphro. The Trials of Socrates. Trans. C.D.C. Reeve.
Indianapolis: Hackett, 2002. 3-25. (Note: Each of Plato's
dialogues would follow this format.)
Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Black Cat." The Edgar Allan Poe
Society of Baltimore. 21 July 2015. Web. Date of Access. <
http://www.eapoe.org/works/tales/blcatd.htm>.
If you have a different version of a text, then you must adjust
the works cited entries accordingly. Parenthetical citations and
works cited entries must correspond! Papers wherein
parenthetical citations and works cited entries do not
correspond may be subject to a deduction of two full grades.
Please contact the instructor if you have any questions about
works cited entries.
A Word on Grades for Papers
The papers will be graded rigorously. Not following the format
outlined above or not binding papers properly before turning
them in will be cause for a grade reduction. Late papers will be
penalized one full grade level for each subsequent class meeting
after the due date. Thus, the paper due on 9/11 would be
lowered by one grade if handed in after 9/11, but by 9/14, two
grades if handed in after 9/14, but by 9/16, etc. Only ONE e-
mail submission per student will be accepted!
Students are encouraged to write multiple drafts of papers
before turning them in. Students are also encouraged to make
use of the Temple Writing Center (in the Tuttleman Learning

17. Center). Also, available on Blackboard is a link to a helpful web
site on grammar.
Grade Outline
The following grade outline refers largely to the mechanical
aspects of papers. Content, in terms of analysis and critique, is
also a major factor in grades, but is more subjective and will be
judged on a paper-by-paper basis.
A = Excellent. Paper follows proper formatting, has an
introduction and a clear thesis statement. It integrates the
text(s) well in quotes and paraphrases in its body, and
demonstrates a clear understanding of the material. It is well
organized, uses transitions and has a conclusion. The paper is
essentially error-free and employs the diction of academic
discourse.
B = Good. Paper follows proper formatting and has an
introduction. The thesis is present, but may lack some
specificity. Its integration of the text(s) is adequate. Body
paragraphs may need further development or clearer transitions.
The paper has a conclusion. The paper does have occasional
errors, but is comprehensible and commensurate with college-
level writing.
C = Fair. Paper has a few formatting problems. It also lacks
focus and may not be clearly related to the assignment. The
paper shows some difficulty in integrating the text(s). The
introduction may be missing or unclear. The body paragraphs
may be undeveloped or lack logical divisions. Transitions are
missing. Conclusion is off the topic. Paper has a significant
number of errors, but it remains generally comprehensible.
D = Poor. Paper lacks focus or fails to address the assignment.
The thesis is missing or uselessly broad. Texts are poorly

18. integrated or not cited at all. Transitions are missing. Paper
lacks mastery of basic writing skills and makes numerous
grammatical and mechanical errors.
Name:________________________
Attendance and Participation Self-Evaluation Form
Each student may choose to evaluate his or her attendance and
participation and propose a grade for that portion of the final
grade. (Students are not to propose their expected or desired
final grade on this form.) If a student chooses to do a self-
evaluation, then he or she must turn in this form by the end of
class on December 7th. Absolutely no forms will be accepted
after that date! The instructor will consider the student's self-
evaluation and proposed grade when determining the actual
participation grade. All forms will be returned to students, but
if the instructor determines that the student's grade will be
lower than the one the student has proposed, he will return the
form to the student with a comment.
Students who choose to evaluate themselves must do so
seriously and with full attention to the "Attendance and
Participation" section of the syllabus. Please review that section
of the syllabus before proceeding! The more evidence a student
can cite that demonstrates fulfillment of the syllabus's
requirements, the more likely the student's proposed grade will
be accepted. To reiterate, students who choose not to evaluate
themselves understand that the instructor will determine their
attendance and participation grades based on his own best
judgment.
Self-Evaluation
1. I participated in class discussion

19. A. in every class B. in most classes C. sometimes D. rarely
2. I had a hard copy of the text with me
A. in every class B. in most classes C. sometimes D. rarely
3. I fulfilled the attendance requirement.
A. Yes B. No
4. I fulfilled the Discussion Board requirement.
A. Yes B. No
Student Comments:
Proposed Attendance and Participation Grade:____________