Class Schedule
Assignments and readings are due on the date listed on the syllabus. All assignments and due dates are subject to change. Unless otherwise noted, assignments must be submitted to Blackboard by the midnight before class.
Week 1: Introduction
F 8/25 Introduction: icebreaker, syllabus, and diagnostic.
After class: email me a brief introductory note about yourself and your goals for the course
Week 2: Introduction to Critical Analysis
W 8/30 Introduction to Critical Analysis and Texts in Conversation
Reading: George Saunders, “Braindead Megaphone” & “In Persuasion Nation”
Writing: Reading Response 1 (Saunders)
F 9/1 Brainstorm Topics for Critical Analysis
Reading: Nicholas Carr, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”
Joseph Harris, “Coming to Terms”
Writing: Reading Response 2 (Carr and Harris)
Week 3: Methods of Visual and Critical Analysis
W 9/6 Discussion of Close Reading
Reading: John Berger, “Ways of Seeing,” Chapter 7
Writing: Reading Response 3 (Berger)
F 9/8 Introduction to Argumentation
Reading: Real Life Mag Selection
Writing: Reading Response 4 (Real Life Mag)
Week 4: Critical Analysis Essay Draft
W 9/13 Black Mirror Viewing; In-Class Drafting
Reading: Vilem Flusser, “The Non-Thing” and “The Non-Thing 2”
Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein, “Introduction: Entering the Conversation” and “’They Say’: Starting with What Others Are Saying” from They Say/I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing
Writing: Reading Response 5 (Flusser & Graff and Birkenstein)
F 9/15 Revision Exercises (Joseph M. Williams, “Cohesion and Coherence)
Reading: Richard Straub, “Responding—Really Responding—to Other Students’ Writing”
Writing: **First Draft Critical Analysis**
Week 5: No Class
W 9/20 **No class scheduled**
F 9/22 **No class scheduled**
Week 6: Critical Analysis Revision
W 9/27 Critical Analysis In-Class Workshop
Reading: Brock Dethier, “Revising Attitudes”
Writing: Reading Response 6 (Dethier)
F 9/29 **No class scheduled**
Week 7: Introduction to Research Essay
W 10/4 Introduction to Research Essay, “Ways of Seeing” Viewing
Reading: John Berger, “Ways of Seeing” Chapter 3
Writing: Reading Response 7 (Berger)
**Final Draft Critical Analysis**
F 10/6 Developing a Research Question
Reading: Laura Mulvey, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”
Wayne Booth, “From Topics to Questions”
Writing: Reading Response 8 (Mulvey)
Week 8: Components of a Research Essay
W 10/11 Developing a Research Question Continued
Reading: Susan Sontag, “Regarding the Pain of Others” Chapters 3 and 4
Wayne Booth, “From Questions to Problems”
Writing: Reading Response 9 (Sontag)
F 10/13 Introduction to Annotated Bibliography
Reading: James Baldwin, “Stranger in the Village”
Teju Cole, “Black Body: Rereading James Baldwin’s ‘Stranger in the Village’”
Writing: Reading Response 10 (Baldwin and Cole)
Week 9: Research Proposals and Resources
W 10/18 Library Visit
F 10/25 In-class workshop of Research Proposal
Reading: Claudia Rankine, “Citizen”
Judith Butler, “Endangered/Endangering: Schematic Racism and White Paranoia”
Writing: Reading Response 12 (Rankine & Butler)
Research Proposal: Preliminary Research Question and Rough Annotated Bibliography
Week 10: Research Essay Drafting
W 11/1 In-class drafting of Research Paper
Writing: Final Annotated Bibliography Due
F 11/3 In-class research project draft work & conferences
Week 11: Research Essay Revision
W 11/8 Peer Review One
Writing: **First Draft Research Essay**
F 11/10 In-class conferences on Research Papers
Reading: Richard Lanham, “Revising for Concision”
Week 12: Final Draft Research Essay
W 11/15 In-class research project draft work
F 11/17 Introduction to Remix Project & Multi-Modal Assignments
Writing: **Final Draft Research Essay**
Week 13: Remixing
*T 11/21 Brainstorming Multi-Modal Assignments
Follows a Friday schedule
W 11/22 In-class workshop of Remix Project Proposal
Writing: Remix Project Proposals Due
F 11/24 **Thanksgiving Holiday**
Week 14: Remix Continued
W 11/29 Studio Day on Remix Project
F 12/1 Peer Workshop of Remix Project; Introduction to Portfolio Reflection
Writing: **First Draft Remix Project**
Week 15: Presentations & Goodbye
W 12/6 Final Presentations Round One
Writing: **Final Draft Remix Project**
F 12/8 Final Presentations Round Two; Goodbyes
F 12/15 **Final Portfolio Reflection Due at Noon**