HUMANITIES 131: CULTURAL CONNECTIONS Sec. 50, Saturdays 9AM-12:19PM, BW 101 Instructor: Jaime Brunton Office: BW 231 Office Hours: Sat. 12:30-1:30 Telephone: (517) 787-0800 x8335 E-mail: [email protected] (Include HUM 131 and A SPECIFIC SUBJECT in the subject line. For example, “HUM 131 first exam grade.” Your NAME also needs to appear at the end of your e-mail and on all attached documents. Please do not consider your e-mail address a way of identifying yourself.) Texts to Buy - CULTURE AND VALUES: A Survey of the Humanities 7th Edition with Readings, Cunningham and Reich - Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe Course Description Humanities 131 is an interdisciplinary course that examines Western contemporary issues, their human and technological components, and their historical precedents through art, music, literature, film, philosophy, and other forms of human expression. During this semester, we will focus on and learn how to ‘read’ the creative expressions that stem from human beings living in the 14th through the 21st centuries as they describe the world in which they—and we—live. Coursework Full participation is necessary for a passing grade in this course. This means reading, viewing, listening, and researching assigned "texts" (i.e., literature, art, music); thinking about the ideas you find; and expressing your own ideas in class discussions, writing assignments, presentations, and exams, as summarized below. - Discussion: By 5PM on the Friday before twelve of our class meetings (see schedule), you will post a one to three-paragraph informal writing assignment on the texts for that day. Your post should give an example of something you found engaging, explain why it interested you, and pose at least one question (and your answer) for the class to consider. Each post is worth two points of your final grade. Failing to post, or posting something of extremely poor quality, will earn a 0; posts that meet only one or two of the requirements will earn 1 point; posts that meet all requirements will earn 2 points. The remaining point of your discussion grade will be earned through your thoughtful, courteous contributions to discussions and activities (½ point), and your respectful treatment of the subject matter and members of the class (½ point). - Cultural event project: You will be asked to attend an artistic cultural event outside of class (e.g. symphony concert, play, dance performance, museum visit, special film showing, etc.) and give a three to five-page typewritten response to the event. - Group presentation: You and several of your classmates will explore a non-Western culture—its traditions, values, beliefs, customs, and artistic expressions—through history, architecture, visual art, music, literature and/or other artifacts of this culture. - Exams: Three exams, each covering approximately four weeks of the coursework, will be given on October 3, October 31, and December 19. Grade DistributionExams (10% each) 30% Discussion 25% Cultural Event Project 25% Group Presentation 20% Grade Scale Percent Grade 90-100 4.0 85-89 3.5 80-84 3.0 75-79 2.5 70-74 2.0 65-69 1.5 60-64 1.0 0-59 0.0 Understanding the Texts Textbook/articles: Plan to read textbook and supplemental pieces twice. Good study habits include a preliminary reading in which you skim and scan the written material once. In the initial reading, take note of headings, color plate images, maps, timelines, and text box materials; focus in on the first and last sentences of longer paragraphs to grasp main ideas. Look for things you understand. Try not to bog down in difficult material. Focus on what you do connect with in your first reading. In your second reading, highlight pivotal passages or controlling ideas and make margin notes using key words and brief summary statements. Record questions raised for you by the materials (see if you can answer them by reading carefully—if not, bring the questions to our discussion board), and look up unfamiliar vocabulary in the glossary or dictionary. Feel free to use the internet (be careful to use only websites with good authority such as those posted by universities or colleges; avoid personal websites and dot coms in general) to gain background information in areas that you find interesting or confusing. Summarize your notes for yourself prior to discussion. Thorough reading and engaged study encourage thoughtful discussion and foster learning. Literature: The pieces selected for this course, especially the early ones, can be difficult; they may even seem like a foreign language to some readers. Some phrasing is not our phrasing and some words are not in our vocabulary. It may take you longer to read these earlier texts. However, in their original forms (or even in a good translation), these pieces give us a flavor of the times in which they were created. They should also make you aware of how your current exposures to language influence the way you understand your world. To make sure you get the most from these readings, allot adequate time to tackle the assigned literature. Keep a dictionary nearby for reference when you encounter challenging terms. Visual Images: We will spend much time with visual images. Consider the color plates and your responses to them to be as important as the written materials. Look at images carefully, read about them, and discuss them. As you spend time with the art you will learn to ‘read’ it. There are countless websites for the material we cover in the class; be careful to spend time only withcredible web sources. Two useful websites for art and architecture are www.artcyclopedia.com and www.greatbuildings.com. Music: When you listen to the music selections that I refer you to, listen to them at least three times and listen for the characteristics that my lectures and the text chapters emphasize. Learning Objectives Because your success in the course is reading and writing based, I am committed to reinforcing reading comprehension through guided discussion questions. I am also committed to writing across the curriculum. Toward that end, you are expected to practice and incorporate academic writing skills in your written work. This class also aligns with several of JCC’s Associate Degree Outcomes (ADOs)—skills that the Board of Trustees has determined all JCC graduates should develop or enhance while enrolled in the college. The ADOs addressed