Participation (20%)

This course is not a lecture but a seminar: you are expected to do the readings, elaborate questions about the texts and their contexts, and actively participate in class discussions. You must also respectfully listen to and engage with your peers’ questions and comments. Throughout the semester, I will assess your participation in two contexts: contributions to our class discussion, and small group in-class assignments when presented to the class as a whole.

All students will prepared 2-3 written questions based on both primary material and critical readings for the day.

Oral presentations (20%)

You will do a presentation (15 min) and one keyword presentations (5 min) throughout the semester. You can use Power Point or write a presentation outline to be shared with the class. The presenter will lead class discussion for another 10. Keyword presentations are brief, casual and conversational presentations on keywords suggested by the professor every week.

Writings Assignments (30%)

You will write two kinds of assignments: compositions and reactions. Compositions are formal written assignments of around 750-1000 words. You will write six of these, roughly one every two weeks, based on prompts provided by the professor. Compositions will be graded, corrected and re-submitted, which will allow you to raise your grade. Reactions are short, 1-3 parragraphs critical responses. There are no prompts for these and will not be graded nor corrected. All written work will be submitted through Blackboard.

Midterm Exam (20%)

Students will take a midterm exam on questions related to the texts, and the class discussions of the first half of the semester. The exam will test your familiarity with the readings and content of the course and your capacity to address and develop a critical analysis of the primary sources.

Analytical Essay (20%)

Students will write a comparative analysis of two or three works or authors (2500-2800 words) read during the semester. The essay should have a clear argument or thesis, provide essential contextual information, and develop a close reading of the sources. Detailed guidelines will be provided. You need to discuss the idea and plan for the paper with the professor several weeks before the paper is due, and failing to do so will affect your grade.