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Schedule
Requirements
Resources
Writing
Tips
Bibliography
| Professor: Jordana Dym |
| Email:jdym@skidmore.edu |
| Phone:580-5272 |
| Office: TLC 326 |
| Office Hours: M, W 2-3 or by appointment |
Skidmore College
LIBERAL STUDIES 210
Travelers & Travel Liars in Latin America, 1500-1900
COURSE
REQUIREMENTS
Course Requirements
1. Participation-20 % All students will be expected to come to class, keep up with weekly readings and participate in class discussions and computer lab. Instructor will look for faithful attendance, prompt completion of weekly readings, thoughtful participation, and a desire to create a friendly, respectful and articulate atmosphere in the class room.
2. Discussion Shaping -15% Once during the course, each student will prepare a thoughtful 3-4 page review of one week's course materials, to be turned in to the professor on the Monday of that week. The review essay (10%) should analyze the materials by drawing from ideas raised in class and in the theoretical readings provided with each section. Each student will prepare at least 3 questions (5%) for the reading, to be circulated by e-mail to classmates AT LEAST 24 HOURS before discussion of the readings (Tuesday, 10 am). Questions should be open-ended (not What color was Columbus' ship?) and designed to generate debate or discussion. Signups for topic selection will be available in the second week of class.
Review essays
should include:
1. A thesis statement indiciating what themes the paper will discuss.
2. A 2-3 sentence introduction of the main evidence the author uses to
support the thesis (sources, theories, intended audience, etc). **Do not
allow summary to extend beyond this limit.**
3. Identification of key themes used by author that class has seen before
4. Identification of key themes used by author that are new
5. General reactions to the text
6. An evaluation of how-and how well-the reading addresses the theme of
the unit
7. May include: Questions that remain regarding the issues of the text,
or the manner of the author's discussion
3. Essay-20%. Approximately half-way through the course, students will craft a 5-7 page essay based on readings assigned by the professor on a topic relevant to the course.
4. Web
Project-45% Students will work throughout the semester on a web-page
on the Travel Writing of Latin America. By the second week of the course,
students will choose topics for each page in consultation with the professor,
and in the third week divide the labor of the project. Developing good
research and writing skills and habits, as well as developing the ability
to work in teams, are the principle reasons to assign a research project
of this magnitude. Thus, rather than assign one grade based solely on
the final product, the student will be evaluated on the preparation of
the different stages of the assignment, as well as on interactions with
fellow students:
Week
3: Selection
of Principal Themes for the Webpage (class exercise, 3%)
Week
4: Preliminary
Division of Labor assigned (in consultation w/ prof.) (3%)
Week 6: Initial bibliography, to include primary & secondary sources,
annotated (7 %)
Week 9: Outline & Initial Design for the Webpage (main themes/sources
(text/image/links) - 7%
Weeks 11-12: First Draft of Web Page (presentation to class) -
5%
Week 13: Final Pages Due - 15% (10%-teacher evalutaion; 5%-written
2-page peer evaluations)
Week 14: Student Presentations of their Pages - 5%, an oral report
of 5-8 minutes; can be done by groups or individuals.