LEAP 1100-008 Spring 2015 LEAP
Seminar in Humanities
The Formation of American Communities
Spring 2015 Syllabus
[Humanities and Diversity Requirement]
“WITH MAN GONE WILL THERE BE HOPE FOR GORILLA?”
Ishmael
Instructor: Steve Maisch, Ph.D.
Office: 150 B Sill Center
Office Hours: T, TH 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Email: [email protected]
Librarian: Alfred Mowdood
Email: [email protected]
Peer Advisor
Section
Time
Class Room
Patrick Cunningham
008
9:10 – 10:30
Bu C 302
Course Description
In the second semester of Science-LEAP we focus on how we define
and value community in America. We review how concepts of
“community” have developed and been implemented in the American
experience, chiefly by studying the way individuals have perceived their
relationships with and obligations to community and how they have
defined who counts as members of their communities.
In order to better understand how individuals perceive their role in
community in America we examine literature that offers a variety of
ethnic and class perspectives. The variety of perspectives allows this
course to fulfill the University’s Diversity requirement. In addition, these
texts are to help students engage in meaningful discussions about
diversity in your academic and professional lives. As you read the texts,
consider questions such as:
• How do we define community? What are the bases for our
definitions?
• What role does culture play in creating identity for an individual or
group?
• How do rights and responsibilities shape our sense of community?
• How is identity formed? Is it imposed from the outside or is it
generated from within?
• Who is included in or excluded from decision-making processes in a
community, and why? Does ethnicity, gender, economic status,
profession, political belief, or religious or ethical stance influence
this selection?
• How do individuals bridge the gap as they move between
communities in America? Is it important to bridge the gap at
all? How do they decide what values and beliefs to retain? How
or why do they adapt or change? What are the barriers to
adapting or the reasons to choose not to adapt?
Texts (in the order we will read them) [available at the University of
Utah Campus bookstore]
Quinn, Daniel. 1992. Ishmael. An Adventure of Mind and Spirit. New
York: Bantam.
Sinclair, Upton. 1905. The Jungle. New York: Signet Classic
Dawidoff, Nicholas. 2002. The Fly Swatter: Portrait of an Exceptional
Character. New York: Vintage Books.
Thompson, Gabriel. 2007. There’s No Jose Here. New York: Nation
Books.
III. Grades and Assignments
Assignments
Library [4 x 5 pts]
20
Quizzes [4 x 10 pts]
40
Individual Essay – 1
20
Individual Essay – 2
20
Total for individual
assignments
100pts
Team Project
Team Assignment -1
10
Team Assignment - 2
10
Team Assignment - 3
10
Team Assignment - 4
10
Team Assignment – 5
20
Team Presentation
Presentation Evaluations
30
10
Total for Team assignments
__________________________________________________________________
Total
200pts
100pts
Assignments
Assignments are meant to encourage you to participate in
class discussion and succeed not only in this course but in all university
courses. These assignments are designed to contribute to a particular
class discussion and to reward class attendance; they may not be made
up if missed or submitted late.
Library Assignments
There are in total five library instruction classes in the spring
semester, held in the Marriott library. These library classes are a part of
the spring semester course syllabus and are not optional. You must
attend four library sessions to receive full credit.
Canvas
We will be using Canvas as another means of promoting
discussion and learning. The syllabus is posted on Canvas, along with
your grades, assignments and announcements. Please log in on a
regular basis to check for postings from me and the peer advisors.
IMPORTANT: Canvas is a public space and is owned by the
University of Utah. Please
follow commonly accepted rules of decorum and courtesy when
responding to questions and interacting with other students, the
peer advisors, and the professor on Canvas.
Extra Credit Points
You may earn up to five extra credit points this semester. These extra
credit points are geared towards promoting campus participation. Each
activity earns one point if you attend/participate in any of the following:
Ø
A LEAP activity
Ø
A meeting with the Peer Advisor about a written class assignment
Ø
An approved lecture on campus that relates to Humanities,
Technology, and/or Diversity
To receive credit, please write one paragraph on the activity - what you
experienced and what you gained – and send this paragraph in an
email to your peer advisor using her email address as listed above. All
Extra Credit paragraphs are due by Friday, April 24, 2015.
Grading
Grading: I do not grade on a curve. Grades are assigned by
percentages.
Percentages
94% and above
Letter Grade
A
90‑93%
A‑
87‑89%
B+
84‑86%
B
80‑83%
B‑
77‑79%
C+
74‑76%
C
70‑73%
C‑
67‑69%
D+
64‑66%
D
60‑63%
D
Below 60%
E
Plagiarism:
Claiming or suggesting that words or ideas of others are your own is a
form of cheating. Plagiarism is defined in the University of Utah
Student Code as the intentional unacknowledged use or incorporation
of any other person's work in, or as a basis for, one's own work offered
for academic consideration or credit or for public presentation.
Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, representing as one's own,
without attribution, any other individual’s words, phrasing, ideas,
sequence of ideas, information or any other mode or content of
expression. (Student Code, www.regulations.utah.edu/academics/6400.html)
It is theft. Punishment for plagiarismis an automatic zero (0) for the
assignment and further disciplinary action may be taken.
LEAP Classroom Policies
This class has a large reading load and carries the "Writing
Emphasis" designation.
There will be a lot of reading and writing.
Reading assignments will average about 50 pages for many class
periods. Because we have so much material to discuss in any given class
period, and class will consist largely of discussion rather than lecture,
you must come prepared by having done the reading. Read the texts
with critical skepticism, i.e., to identify the main ideas presented, to
weigh and evaluate these ideas with an open mind, and to be prepared
to share your responses about what you've read.
I expect regular, full‑time, on‑time class attendance and participation.
Once in class please don’t do the reading for this or another class.
Don’t read unrelated material (like newspapers), and don’t work on
assignments which should already have been done for this class or are
due in another. These are strategies for success in LEAP and at the
University in general. The key is to show up and keep up. READ every
day.
Contacting the instructor or peer advisors
My office hours and office location are listed on the first page of this
syllabus. Please contact me to make an appointment if my office hours
are not convenient. Your peer advisors will give you a separate sheet
with contact information.
Reasonable accommodation
Read the following statement and, if it applies to you, please visit the
University's Center for Disability Services, 162 Student Union, or contact
them at 581‑5020 for information on how they can help you.
The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs,
services and activities for people with disabilities. If you will need
accommodations in this class, reasonable prior notice needs to be given
to the instructor and to the Center for Disability Services, 162 Olpin
Union Building, 581‑5020 (V/TDD) to make arrangements for
accommodations.
All printed information for this course can be made available in
alternative format with prior notification to the Center for Disability
Services.
==============================================
======================
Learning objectives for LEAP 1100
1.
Fostering a critical understanding of beliefs about community-
building, rights and responsibilities in American society from a
humanities perspective
2.
Exploring the meaning of diversity
3.
Learning to succeed in a University class through networking with
students, faculty members, and LEAP peer mentors
4.
Adapting to the University environment by actively participating
in a learning community composed of primarily first-year students
entering the University
5.
Discovering ways to link ideas among courses, rather than seeing
the courses as separate, unrelated entities
6.
Acquiring knowledge of library technologies
7.
Developing written and oral professional communication skills
a.
Through informal writings leading to the production of formal
essays
b.
By successfully completing sequenced assignments of increasing
difficulty
c.
By producing specific types of writing, e.g., summary,
comparison, synthesis
d.
By learning to identify and use effective strategies for oral
presentations and written assignments
e.
By integrating library resources into a research project
f.
By understanding the appropriate use of intellectual property
g.
By applying knowledge from previous Writing and LEAP courses
to assignments and examinations in other classes
8.
Developing critical thinking skills
a.
By learning how to read for main ideas
b.
By reading with an open mind to weigh and evaluate ideas
c.
By actively participating in discussions with the entire class and in
small teams
d.
By organizing ideas for effective verbal and written responses
9.
Learning to work effectively in teams
a.
By negotiating tasks within teams
b.
By completing team research projects
c.
By planning and executing effective team presentations based on
research.
==============================================
======================
Course Schedule
• The reading listed for a particular day should be done BEFORE you
come to class.
• Please bring the specific text/reading being discussed with you each
day to fully participate in the class and assignments.
“He had read much, if one considers his long life; but his contemplation
was much more than his reading. He was wont to say that if he had
read as much as other men he should have known no more than other
men.” Isaac Assimov
Week I
Introduction
Jan 13 - [T]
• Introduce LEAP, course, and discuss syllabus
Jan 15 - [TH]
• Readings: Ishmael: Chpts: 1-4
Week II
Jan 20 - [T]
Ishmael, Guns Germs and Steel
• Movie: Guns Germs and Steel
• Readings: Ishmael: Chpts. 5 and 6
Jan 22 - [TH]
• Readings: Ishmael: Chpts. 7 and 8
• Movie: Guns Germs and Steel
Week III
Ishmael, Library Class 1
Jan 27 - [T]
• Readings: Ishmael: Chpts. 9 and 10
• Movie: Guns, Germs and Steel
• Introduce Team Assignment 1
Jan 29 - [TH]
• Library class 1: Marriott Library 1735
Week IV
Ishmael, Quiz 1, The Jungle
Feb 3 - [T]
• Readings: Ishmael: Chpts. 11 - 13
• Introduce Individual Essay 1 (Due February 13th)
• Quiz 1
Feb 5 - [TH]
• Readings: The Jungle: Introduction
• Team Assignment 1 due by midnight tonight
Week V
The Jungle, Library Class 2
Feb 10 - [T]
• Movie: Chicago
• Readings: The Jungle: Chpts. 1 – 5
• Introduce team assignment 2
Feb 12 - [TH]
• Library class 2: Marriott Library 1735
Feb 13 – [F]
• Individual essay 1 due by midnight tonight
Week VI
The Jungle
Feb 17 - [T]
• Readings: The Jungle: Chpts: 6 - 11
• Movie: Chicago
Feb 19 - [TH]
• Readings: The Jungle: Chpts: 12 - 19
• Movie: Chicago
• Team Assignment 2 due by midnight
Week VII
The Jungle, Library Class 3
Feb 24 - [T]
• Readings: The Jungle: Chpts: 20 -25
◦
Introduce Team Assignment 3
Feb 26 - [TH]
• Library Class 3: Marriott Library 1735
Week VIII
The Jungle, Quiz 2, The Fly Swatter
Mar 3 - [T]
•
Readings: The Jungle: Chpts: 26 – 31
•
Quiz 2
Mar 5 - [TH]
• Movie: The Fog of War
• Readings: The Fly Swatter: Chpts: Prologue
• Team Assignment 3 due by midnight
Week IX
The Fly Swatter, Library Class 4
Mar 10 - [T]
• Readings: The Fly Swatter: Chpts: 1 – 3
• Movie: The Fog of War
• Introduce Team Assignment 4
Mar 12 - [TH]
• Library Class 4: Marriott Library 1735
Week X
Week XII
Spring Break Mar 16 - 20
The Fly Swatter, Library Class 5
Mar 24 - [T]
• Readings: The Fly Swatter: Chpts: 4 – 6
• Movie: Fog of War
• Introduce Individual Essay 2 (due Friday April 17th)
Mar 26 - [TH]
• Library Class 5:Marriott Library 1735
• Team Assignment 4 due by midnight
Week XIII
The Fly Swatter, Quiz 3
Mar 31 - [T]
• Readings: The Fly Swatter: Chpts: 7 – 10
• Introduce tem assignment 5
Apr 2 - [TH]
• Readings: The Fly Swatter: Chpts: 11 – Epilogue
• Quiz 3
Week XIV
No Jose
Apr 7 - [T]
• Readings: No Jose: Part 1
Apr 9 - [TH]
• Readings No Jose: Part 1
• Team assignment 5 due by midnight
Week XV
No Jose, Quiz 4
Apr 14 - [T]
• Readings No Jose: Part 2
• Quiz 4
• Discuss team Presentations
Apr 16 - [TH]
• Teams work in class.
Apr 17 – [F]
• Individual Essay 2 due by midnight
Week XVI
Team Final Presentations
Apr 21 - [T]
• Team Presentations
Apr 23 – [TH]
• Team Presentations
Week XVII
Team Final Presentations
Apr 28 – [T]
• Team Presentations