For September 6
As a reminder, by next Thursday, you should have:
1. Read all of A Small Place
2. Read the introduction and chapter one of Contingency, irony, and solidarity
3. Prepared your charts for assigned research prompts.
Thesis: Prompt 1
Details: (Administration)
Structure: Prompt 3
Analysis: Prompt 2
As always, if you see a discrepancy or feel confusion about assignments, please contact me so I can resolve the concern.
Words and Meanings
Word Game
Write down a sentence that puts the
word pairs into a relationship and expresses the value they have in the
context of the other:
Example:
dog – house
“The dog house makes life for the
outside dog much more pleasant (because he has a place to stay out of
the cold and rain).”
Apple
“I want to eat an apple for lunch.”
“I like Granny Smith apples in my
pie.”
“Apple just won a lawsuit against
Samsung.”
“The wind broke all of the apple's
branches.”
“I hate the Big Apple.”
“Jason is a bad apple.”
Other meanings?
Understanding what I mean when I say 'beach'.
Writing Forms
Now
sometimes, a word is all that is needed to explain a thought.
("I
intend to speak generally.")
Sometimes a sentence is all that is
needed to explain a thought.
("I intend to be somewhat specific.")
Sometimes a paragraph is needed.
("I intend to clarify my definition
of a word, e.g., legal briefs.")
Sometimes
an essay is written to communicate the thought.
("It is important that
you understand a number of factors that play into my understanding of
a concept.")
Sometimes a person wants to be very clear about what they mean, and
they want to communicate their thoughts very distinctly; they write
an extended essay or a book.
("I want to be very clear about what I am
saying. I don't to offend you. I want to make it very clear what I
mean. I want to use a number of terms that may be understood
differently by other individuals; so, let me state what they mean to
me and then show what they mean when I combine these given meanings
together.")
Research Prompt 1
In what ways is the text A Small Place an example of this kind of thinking?
Find ten instances where the text uses the word 'tourist'. Put these instances in a list. At the end of the list draw a conclusion about what tourist means for the narrator.
Find ten instances where the text uses the word 'library'. Put these instances in a list. At the end of the list, write a few lines hypothesizing what you think the narrator means when she uses the term.
Email the final document to the instructor before next Thursday's class.
Platonic Language
Of Table, Caves, and Philosophers
1. Plato and Socrates (including the 'footnote' quote)
2. Plato's Allegory of the Cave
3. The role of the philosopher (including in his political writing The Republic)
4. Ideal Forms (e.g., a table)
5. Ideal Forms and religion
6. Problems with Platonic cosmology
Research Prompt 2
In this text, the narrator employs the second person in her language. Find one sentence about every six pages where the narrator employs the second person in the text. Place these sentences in a list. Write out a hypothesis regarding the use of second person address. Why does the narrator appear to be addressing the reader? Email the final document to the instructor before next Thursday's class.
Western Civilization
Favorite television show or movie//Definition of success
Modernity
The French Revolution
The Enlightenment
Rational Thought
Industrial Systems
Individualism
Imperialism (British Empire)
Different kinds of dialog
Others
Literature
Practices in imagining the suffering of others
The value of everyday lived experience versus policy and theory
Community relationships
A Small Place
Basic Overview
Author?
Publication date?
How many sections is the book broken into?
What are the main figures or who are the characters in the text?
Setting
1) Where does the story take place?
2) When does the story take place?
3) Find ten quotes that describe the setting.
4) Has the place changed or stayed the same?
5) What is the political atmosphere?
6) What is the economic atmosphere?
7) Find four quotes that show how the setting is connected to the Conflict in the text.
8) From this information, what do you understand the Theme of the text to be?
9) What other information would you look for in the text to support this?
Author?
Jamaica Kincaid
Publication date?
1988
How many sections is the book broken into?
4
What are the main figures or who are the characters in the text?
Jamaica Kincaid, the American and European tourists, the Antiguan Prime Minister, and the Queen of England are the main figures in the text.What other information would you look for in the text to support this?
I would look for the relationships, systems and problems revolving Imperialism that Kincaid describes or blames.
Setting
1) Where does the story take place?
Antigua. According to the narrative the story is from an native Antiguan in the role of a tourist
2) When does the story take place?
The story takes place in present day according to evidence read in the text
3) Find ten quotes that describe the setting.
1- Pg. 3 What a beautiful island Antigua is - more beautiful than any of the other islands you have seen
2- Pg. 12 Far out, to the horizon, the colour of the water is navy-blue; nearer, the water is the colour of the North American sky
3- Pg 62 (The condominium style of building, ugly in any climate, is especially ugly in a small, hot place
4- Pg 69 ...degradation and humiliation of their daily lives into their own tourist attraction
5- Pg 77 Antigua is too beautiful. Sometimes the beauty of it seems unreal
6- Pg 77 No real day and no real night could be that evenly divided- twelve hours of one and twelve hours of the other, no real day would begin that dramatically or end that dramatically
7- Pg 78 No real sand on any real shore is that fine or that white (in some places) or that pink (in other places)
8- Pg. 78 No real village with such a name would be so beautiful in its pauperedness, its simpleness , its one roomed houses painted in unreal shades of pink and yellow and green
9- Pg. 79 The market on a Saturday morning, where the colours of the fruits and the vegetables and the colours of the clothes people are wearing and the colour of the day itself itself, and the colour of the nearby sea, and the colour of the sky, which is just overhear and seems so close you might reach up and touch it
4) Has the place changed or stayed the same?
The place has stayed the same. The author keeps mentioning that after Antigua was free to run their own country, only once was there people in power who cared about the country. The only buildings that are fixed and taken care of are the hotels and any place that someone important has visited or sent money to.
5) What is the political atmosphere?
The government is all about money. They are connected to drug smugglers. Nothing is done for the people who live in the country to better their lives. The government does not help.
6) What is the economic atmosphere?
In Antigua it seems you are either rich from drug smuggling or doing other horrible things or you are dirt poor. There is no middle class.
7) Find four quotes that show how the setting is connected to the Conflict in the text.
“…. Antiguans always talk about the doctors, “I don’t want them near me”; that Antiguans refer to them not doctors as “three men” … that when the Minister of health himself doesn’t feel well he takes the first plane to New York to see a real doctor…” pg.
“…Now they own a lot of Antigua; they regularly lend money to the government, they build enormous(for Antigua), ugly(for Antigua), concrete buildings in Antigua’s capital, St. John’s which the government regularly rents for huge sums of money;…a member of the family is the Antiguan ambassador to Syria; Antiguans hate him.” Pg. 11
“…In the Antigua I know we lived on a street named after a English maritime criminal” pg.24
“…who wanted to live in Antigua and spend holidays in Antigua but who seemed not to like Antiguans (black people)at all, for the Mill Reef declared itself private, and only Antiguans (black people) allowed to go there were servants…”pg.
“…The English have become a pitiful lot these days, with hardly any idea what to do with themselves now that they no longer have one quarter of the earth’s population bowing and scarping before them….you had always felt people like me cannot run things, people like me never grasp the idea of a National Product, people like me will never understand the notion of rule by law…”pg 36
8) From this information, what do you understand the Theme of the text to be?
The theme is the historical colonial oppression of black Antiguans persists in an entirely new form, in that of of a corrupt government and foreigners owning most of the land and power while local black Antiguans own nothing much of the place where they call and know as home.
9) What other information would you look for in the text to support this?
Look for who owns businesses, who hold high positions , how the government is run.
Contingency, irony, and solidarity (Research Prompt 3, 8/30)
This text may take some time to work through. Be patient.
Richard Rorty was an American philosopher who worked for much his life to support and expand upon the ideas he wrote in his early text Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature. We are reading Rorty because he specifically looks to the novel as a resource to address cruelty in society. Pay particular attention to the epigraph by Milan Kundera at the beginning of the book. Also, the introduction makes your entry into the first chapter much clearer. Don't skip it.
Before reading, ask yourself, "What is contingency? What is irony? What is solidarity?" What do they have to do with literature and philosophy? The purpose of the title is to direct your attention as you read the so entitled text. You can always look up Richard Rorty on Wikipedia. What does it tell you about him there? Can you make any connections to anything that it says about him or his work on that page? How many books has he written? How is he viewed by other philosophers? What External Links from the Wikipedia page do you find helpful? I generally find the entries in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy to be helpful.
Returning to the text, Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity, chapter one is only twenty pages long (pp. 3-23). What is the title of the chapter and how does it relate to the introduction? There is a shift that occurs in chapter one toward the bottom of page nine. What is the shift? How does Rorty announce the shift? Pay attention to such language. It helps you, as a reader, to get a clear picture of what is going on in the text.
Create a chart with answers to the questions in the paragraphs above. Email a digital copy of this chart to the instructor before the start of class: rtbarnha@ic.sunysb.edu
I found this digital copy available online from someone at the University of Oregon. It looks like the whole thing may be there. I haven't checked; so, I won't guarantee that this will replace the text. Even if you download it, you'll need to print out a copy so we can discuss it in class (unless you have a digital copy to on hand to review during class).
Richard Rorty was an American philosopher who worked for much his life to support and expand upon the ideas he wrote in his early text Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature. We are reading Rorty because he specifically looks to the novel as a resource to address cruelty in society. Pay particular attention to the epigraph by Milan Kundera at the beginning of the book. Also, the introduction makes your entry into the first chapter much clearer. Don't skip it.
Before reading, ask yourself, "What is contingency? What is irony? What is solidarity?" What do they have to do with literature and philosophy? The purpose of the title is to direct your attention as you read the so entitled text. You can always look up Richard Rorty on Wikipedia. What does it tell you about him there? Can you make any connections to anything that it says about him or his work on that page? How many books has he written? How is he viewed by other philosophers? What External Links from the Wikipedia page do you find helpful? I generally find the entries in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy to be helpful.
Returning to the text, Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity, chapter one is only twenty pages long (pp. 3-23). What is the title of the chapter and how does it relate to the introduction? There is a shift that occurs in chapter one toward the bottom of page nine. What is the shift? How does Rorty announce the shift? Pay attention to such language. It helps you, as a reader, to get a clear picture of what is going on in the text.
Create a chart with answers to the questions in the paragraphs above. Email a digital copy of this chart to the instructor before the start of class: rtbarnha@ic.sunysb.edu
I found this digital copy available online from someone at the University of Oregon. It looks like the whole thing may be there. I haven't checked; so, I won't guarantee that this will replace the text. Even if you download it, you'll need to print out a copy so we can discuss it in class (unless you have a digital copy to on hand to review during class).
Research Prompts for August 28
Research Prompt,
No. 1
A Small Place,
Basic Overview
Create
a chart with the following information:
- Author?
- Publisher?
- Publication date?
- How many pages is the text?
- How many sections is the book broken into?
- Give a brief summary (50 words) of each section.
- What are the main figures or who are the characters in the text?
- From this information, what do you understand the Theme of the text to be?
- What other information would you look for in the text to support this?
Email
a digital copy of this chart to the instructor before the start of
class: rtbarnha@ic.sunysb.edu
Research Prompt,
No. 2
A Small Place,
Point of View
Create
a chart with the following information:
- What story is told in A Small Place?
- From what Point of View is the story told?
- Who tells the story?
- Why are they telling the story?
- How do you know? List ten quotes from the text that support why this story is being told.
- Is the Point of View always the same in the story
- What other Point of View could this story be told from?
- From this information, what do you understand the Theme of the text to be?
- What other information would you look for in the text to support this?
Email a digital
copy of this chart to the instructor before the start of class:
rtbarnha@ic.sunysb.edu
Research Prompt,
No. 3
A Small Place,
Setting
Create
a chart with the following information:
- Where does the story take place?
- When does the story take place?
- Find ten quotes that describe the setting.
- Has the place changed or stayed the same?
- What is the political atmosphere?
- What is the economic atmosphere?
- Find four quotes that show how the setting is connected to the Conflict in the text.
- From this information, what do you understand the Theme of the text to be?
- What other information would you look for in the text to support this?
Email
a digital copy of this chart to the instructor before the start of
class: rtbarnha@ic.sunysb.edu
Syllabus - CLT 361
CLT 361 - G
LITERATURE & SOCIETY: CRUELTY & DISCOURSE
Prerequisite: U3 or U4 standing
Advisory Prerequisites: Two courses in literature
FALL 2012
STONY BROOK, MAIN CAMPUS
Physics Bldg. P112
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:00PM - 5:20PM
Course Description
3 Credits - An inquiry, interdisciplinary in nature, into the relationship between the events and materials of political and social history and their effect on the form and content of the literature of a period. Also subsumed under the rubric Literature and Society is the topic Literature and Psychology. May be repeated as the topic changes.
Course Objectives & Requirements
The Novel Against Cruelty: Representations of the Individual's Responsibility in the Face of Suffering
The novel, a literary invention of the modern world, serves as a flexible genre that not only develops from, but also responds to, the conditions of modernity. This course will review major authors of the genre from the nineteenth century forward to understand how texts represent historically contingent forces of oppression. These texts use representation to perform the Nietschean critique of morality, to envision the role of the individual within a community. This course will examine how the texts idiosyncratically employ literary conventions to create an awareness of suffering unique to the socio-historical context and to comment on the responsibility of the individual in the face of suffering.
This course seeks to understand how fiction (a construction of setting, characters, plot, symbolism, conflict, tone & style, and point of view), and especially the novel (a genre that represents the individual's experience of society) can be constructed in a way that calls attention to the ambiguous nature of cruelty and suffering in society and the ambiguity of the individual's relationship to these. Such constructions serve as critiques of the the epistemological limitations of ethical values. Such texts create an implicit imperative for the individual (the audience as well) to recognize the inscrutability of human experience and an imperative to adjust behavior accordingly, i.e., behave toward others with diffidence. Such constructions seek to not only highlight the conditions of cruelty, but through the nuanced, multifaceted representations to avoid the discursive cruelty often associated with treatment of such themes. This course looks at texts that take as their setting social conditions of blatant cruelty. We will examine how these fictions are constructed in a way to destabilize conventionally understood ethical values.
Required Texts
The following required texts are available at the university book store:
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY (1989)
A Small Place (ASP) by Jamaica Kincaid
FARRAR, STROUS AND GIROUX (2000)
Bleak House (BH) by Charles Dickens
WW NORTON & CO (1977)
The Brothers Karamazov (TBK) by Fyodor Dostoevsky
FARRAR, STROUS AND GIROUX (2002)
Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) by Geroge Orwell
PENGUIN MODERN CLASSICS (2004)
Assignments
Reading Quizzes - short assessment of reading assignments
…............................ 10%
Classroom Participation - work in groups to perform textual research
…............................ 20%
Week Three Exam (BB) - ASP comprehension assessment tool
…............................ 5%
Week Five Exam (BB) - BH comprehension assessment tool
…............................ 5%
Mid-term Examination
…............................ 20%
Week Ten Exam (BB) - TBK comprehension assessment tool
…............................ 5%
Week Twelve Group Project - TBK comprehension assessment tool
…............................ 5%
Week Fifteen Six-page Essay - 1984 comprehension assessment tool
…............................ 5%
Final Examination
…............................ 25%
Week Five Exam (BB) - BH comprehension assessment tool
…............................ 5%
Mid-term Examination
…............................ 20%
Week Ten Exam (BB) - TBK comprehension assessment tool
…............................ 5%
Week Twelve Group Project - TBK comprehension assessment tool
…............................ 5%
Week Fifteen Six-page Essay - 1984 comprehension assessment tool
…............................ 5%
Final Examination
…............................ 25%
Course Policy
Attendance
Students are expected to attend and participate in every class meeting. If there is to be any exception to this, the student should communicate with the instructor as soon as possible, preferrably at least twenty-four hours before the class period.
Submission of Assignments
Students are expected to hand in all work by the deadlines and dates given on this syllabus and as stated during class and through email communication. If a student foresees his or her failure to hand in assignments or to meet the deadlines, he or she should communicate the concern to the instructor at least one class period before the due date.
Students are expected to attend and participate in every class meeting. If there is to be any exception to this, the student should communicate with the instructor as soon as possible, preferrably at least twenty-four hours before the class period.
Submission of Assignments
Students are expected to hand in all work by the deadlines and dates given on this syllabus and as stated during class and through email communication. If a student foresees his or her failure to hand in assignments or to meet the deadlines, he or she should communicate the concern to the instructor at least one class period before the due date.
Course Schedule
Schedule of Meetings and Assignments
Week One
Introduction
Aug 30
Discussion of A Small Place, Part 1 (Thesis)
- covering entire text
Week Two
Labor Day Observace, no class
Sep 6
Discussion of A Small Place, Part 2 (Details)
- covering entire text, as well as CIS, ch. 1
Week Three
Discussion of Bleak House, Part 1 (Structure)
- covering up to ch. 9
Sep 13
Discussion of Bleak House, Part 2 (Analysis)
- covering up to ch. 16, as well as CIS, ch. 2
Week Three Exam (BB) due Friday, 9/14/2012 - Topic: A Small Place
Week Four
Discussion of Bleak House, Part 3 (Thesis)
- covering up to ch. 24
Sep 20
Discussion of Bleak House, Part 4 (Details)
- covering up to ch. 32, as well as CIS, ch. 3
Week Five
Discussion of Bleak House, Part 5 (Structure)
- covering up to ch.41
Sep 27
Discussion of Bleak House, Part 6 (Analysis)
- covering up to ch. 49, as well as CIS, ch. 4
Week Five Exam (BB) due Friday, 9/28/2012 - Topic: Bleak House
Week Six
Discussion of Bleak House, Part 7 (Thesis)
- covering up to ch. 55
Oct 4
Discussion of Bleak House, Part 8 (Details)
- covering entire text, as well as CIS, ch. 5
Week Seven
Mid-term Review Session (Structure)
Oct 11
Mid-term Examination
Week Eight
Discussion of The Brothers Karamazov, Part 1 (Analysis)
- read "Introduction", "From the Author", and Book One of the novel
Oct 18
Discussion of The Brothers Karamazov, Part 2 (Thesis)
- Discussion of Book Two and Book Three of the novel, as well as CIS, ch. 6
Week Nine
Discussion of The Brothers Karamazov, Part 3 (Details)
- Discussion of Book Four and Book Five of the novel
Oct 25
Discussion of The Brothers Karamazov, Part 4 (Structure)
- Discussion of Book Four and Book Five of the novel, as well as CIS, ch. 7
Week Ten
Discussion of The Brothers Karamazov, Part 5 (Analysis)
- Discussion of Book Six and Book Seven of the novel
Nov 1
Discussion of The Brothers Karamazov, Part 6 (Thesis)
- Discussion of Book Eight and Book Nine of the novel
Week Ten Exam (BB) due Friday, 11/2/2012 - Topic: The Brothers Karamazov
Week Eleven
Discussion of The Brothers Karamazov, Part 7 (Details)
- Discussion of Book Ten and Book Eleven of the novel
Nov 8
Discussion of The Brothers Karamazov, Part 8 (Structure)
- Discussion of Book Twelve and the novel's epilogue, as well as CIS, ch. 8
Week Twelve
Make Up Day for The Brothers Karamazov (Details)
Nov 15
Be ready to discuss Book One, Chapters 1- 5 of Nineteen Eighty-Four
Week Twelve Exam **abbreviated** (BB) due Monday, 11/19/2012 - Topic: The Brothers Karamazov
Week Thirteen
Be ready to discuss:
Book One, Chapters 6-8, and
Book Two, Chapters 1-2, of Nineteen Eighty-Four (Structure)
Nov 22
Thanksgiving Break, no class
Week Fourteen
Be ready to discuss Book Two, Chapters 3-8, of Nineteen Eighty-Four (Analysis)
Nov 29
Be ready to discuss:
Book Two, Chapters 9-10, and
Book Three, Chapters 1-3, of Nineteen Eighty-Four (Thesis)
Book Two, Chapters 9-10, and
Book Three, Chapters 1-3, of Nineteen Eighty-Four (Thesis)
Week Fifteen
Be ready to discuss all of Nineteen Eighty-Four (Details)
Dec 6
Review Session, last day of class (Structure)
Week Fifteen Exam, Six-page Essay, due Friday, 12/7/2012
- Topic: Nineteen Eighty-Four
Final Exam: Monday, December 17, 2012, 2:15PM - 5:00PM
Reading Quizzes
Readings quizzes are conducted at the beginning of every regular class period. The quiz serves as a memory trigger and conversation starter to help focus the classroom discussion. The quiz serves to teach the students what a basic level understanding of a text involves. Also, the quiz encourages the student to develop the discipline to attend class and to perform the assigned readings. There will be approximately 20 quizzes over the course of the semester. The quiz will only be administered once, no make-ups.
Each quiz will be scored out of five points. Each quiz will include five questions, and students will receive one point for each correctly answered question.
Each quiz will be scored out of five points. Each quiz will include five questions, and students will receive one point for each correctly answered question.
Classroom Participation
Class Routine
For each regular class period, the classroom activity will follow the same basic format as outlined below.
4:00PM – Quiz (5 min)
4:05PM – Lecture (20 min)
4:25PM – Group Discussion (30 min)
4:55PM – Open Discussion (10 min)
5:05PM – Group Meeting (10 min)
5:15PM – Reading (5 min)
The class is divided into two sections. During the first section, the instructor administers a quiz and presents a lecture on a topic related to the course content. During the second section of the class period, the students will lead the discussion. In order to facilitate discussion among the group, everyone will rotate desks so one half of the class faces the other half at this point. Students are assigned to one of four groups. During each class period, each group will have a different responsibility. Three of the groups will be assigned to give a seven minute presentation. The fourth group will in charge of leading the discussion, taking notes, announcing upcoming assignments, and performing a reading of the text for the class period. The groups giving seven minute presenations will be given a prompt sheet explaining their responsibilities for the presentation before each assignment. All groups are expected to email the notes and preparations they have made before the class period their work pertains to.
After the Instructor finishes the lecture, the group in charge of administration for the day will instruct the students to rotate their desks, and will begin the Group Discussion. The Discussion Leader will invite the other groups to present their work and will lead a discussion that seeks to include everyone's questions and answers. After thirty minutes, the Discussion Leader will open up the floor to any questions or comments the students may have regarding any of the texts in the course. This time should expecially be used to discuss how the materials relates to the course topic and how students can prepare for the exams.
Next, the Discussion Leader will turn the time over to group small meetings for ten minutes, during which time the groups should discuss amongst themselves how they will coordinate their upcoming group assignments.
Finally, the Discussion Leader will call everyone's attention back together, instructing everyone to return their seats to normal. The class will end with a member of the administrative group reading aloud, for three to five minutes, a selection from the assigned readings for the day. After the reading, the reader will say 'thank you' and class will automatically be dismissed.
Group Participation
Participation is an important part of life. This course is designed so that everyone can participate in a way that the effort that they put forth yields an equal or greater return. To facilitate this, each class period, students are given specific responsibilities regarding what they are expected to contribute to the class activity. Students will participate with the overall class as a member of a smaller group. I will state from the outset, students will only be graded based on their individual performance. Students will not receive a group grade. Each day, the student's group will be in charge of a presentation or class administration.
Figure out which group you are part of by checking on Blackboard.
Group Work: Class Administration
Group Work: Presentation
Group Work: Class Administration
Each group will be in charge of class administration every fourth class period. The following outlines the responsibilities of the group for these periods.
The Administrative Group for the day will:
1. take over class direction after the instructor's lecture
2. lead the class discussion
3. take notes during the class discussion
4. announce the upcoming assignments
5. perform a reading from the day's assigned text
It is suggested that to carry out these duties, the group will assign different individual's to take on these different tasks. For example, the tasks can be divided among: a class leader, a discussion leader, a note-taker, an announcer, and a reader. However, these are only examples. You could break the job of taking notes among two people. You could have the person making the announcements also lead the discussion and conduct the meeting. The important thing is that, regardless of how you break down the tasks, someone is there on the assigned day to do the assigned work. Equally important, you are expected to submit the breakdown of who will be performing what tasks for the assigned day by midnight the day before.
The following form should be submitted the day before the group leads the class, by midnight:
Class Administration Form
The following form should be submitted the day before the group leads the class, by midnight:
Class Administration Form
The following posts explain in detail how to complete the work of class administration:
Script for Directing the Class
Group Work: Class Administration
As part of classroom administration, the group will conduct the class room activity during the second part of the period. The following is a sample script presents one example of how the student can lead the class.
[Instructor turns time over to group in charge of directing the classroom]
Classroom Arrangement
Gina: "Let's take a moment to turn the chairs so we're all facing each other."
Group Discussion
Gina: "Now, Gregory is going to lead the the Group Discussion."
Gregory: "Thanks. Today's reading assignment was chapters 33 to 35 of Matigari. We have three groups presenting. I'd like to hear from the Details Group first. Could you present?"
[Details Group presents a seven presentation, ending with "thank you"]
Gregory: "Very nice. Do we have any immediate questions or comments? What I noticed was that you mentioning the protagonists mother. Is that something that is important to the text?
[Discussion Leader continues to lead others to ask meaningful questions about comprehension for four minutes. This pattern repeats (presentation and discussion) for the next two groups.]
Open Discussion
Gregory: "Okay, now that we've explored some of the specific information gleaned from the text. How can we understand wider themes? How does this relate to other texts you've read for other classes? How does this relate to something you've seen recently in the news?
[Students present somewhat broad discussion points into the conversation citing specific texts, events, or data. Discussion Leader presents some summary remarks to end discussion.**]
Group Meetings
Gina: "Now it's time to turn to our groups. Figure out what you need to get done for the upcoming class periods. I'll start going over the upcoming assignments in the meantime. First we have reading for next class, chapters 36 to 40 in Matigari. There is a exam on A Small Place due next Friday, to be submitted via SafeAssign. The group assignments for next class are as follows: Details is in charge of class administration. Professor, do you have the prompts for the group presentations?"
[The instructor passes the prompts for the upcoming group presentations out while the students are discussing their work in groups.]
Gina: "Everyone make sure to return the seats to the original position by the time you're done with group work."
Reading
Gina: "All right, everyone, Kelly is going to read from Matigari for the last five minutes."
[Kelly reads, ending with 'thank you', and the class period ends.]
**The Goal of classroom activity is to practice skills of literary interpretation. In every discussion, our goal is to come to some understanding about how the details are structured in a given text and then analyze what that means with reference to own interests in the course topic. It is suggested that each discussion end with concluding statements about the analyses made as a group, summarizing what we have accomplished during the class period.
As part of classroom administration, the group will conduct the class room activity during the second part of the period. The following is a sample script presents one example of how the student can lead the class.
[Instructor turns time over to group in charge of directing the classroom]
Classroom Arrangement
Gina: "Let's take a moment to turn the chairs so we're all facing each other."
Group Discussion
Gina: "Now, Gregory is going to lead the the Group Discussion."
Gregory: "Thanks. Today's reading assignment was chapters 33 to 35 of Matigari. We have three groups presenting. I'd like to hear from the Details Group first. Could you present?"
[Details Group presents a seven presentation, ending with "thank you"]
Gregory: "Very nice. Do we have any immediate questions or comments? What I noticed was that you mentioning the protagonists mother. Is that something that is important to the text?
[Discussion Leader continues to lead others to ask meaningful questions about comprehension for four minutes. This pattern repeats (presentation and discussion) for the next two groups.]
Open Discussion
Gregory: "Okay, now that we've explored some of the specific information gleaned from the text. How can we understand wider themes? How does this relate to other texts you've read for other classes? How does this relate to something you've seen recently in the news?
[Students present somewhat broad discussion points into the conversation citing specific texts, events, or data. Discussion Leader presents some summary remarks to end discussion.**]
Group Meetings
Gina: "Now it's time to turn to our groups. Figure out what you need to get done for the upcoming class periods. I'll start going over the upcoming assignments in the meantime. First we have reading for next class, chapters 36 to 40 in Matigari. There is a exam on A Small Place due next Friday, to be submitted via SafeAssign. The group assignments for next class are as follows: Details is in charge of class administration. Professor, do you have the prompts for the group presentations?"
[The instructor passes the prompts for the upcoming group presentations out while the students are discussing their work in groups.]
Gina: "Everyone make sure to return the seats to the original position by the time you're done with group work."
Reading
Gina: "All right, everyone, Kelly is going to read from Matigari for the last five minutes."
[Kelly reads, ending with 'thank you', and the class period ends.]
**The Goal of classroom activity is to practice skills of literary interpretation. In every discussion, our goal is to come to some understanding about how the details are structured in a given text and then analyze what that means with reference to own interests in the course topic. It is suggested that each discussion end with concluding statements about the analyses made as a group, summarizing what we have accomplished during the class period.
Guidelines for Taking Notes during Group Discussion
Taking Notes
In order to get the most out of our
discussions for later use and in order to take advantage of our
numbers, the students will take turns taking notes during group and
open discussions. In order to get the most out of the note-taking,
the person who took the notes should email their notes to the
instructor within six hours of the end of class:
rtbarnha@ic.sunysb.edu
The Note Sheet
should include a list of all of the hypotheses presented during the
discussion, along with supporting evidence for each. For each
hypothesis, the scribe should note the weaknesses that are brought up
and the suggestions that are made to address the weaknesses.
Key Information to
Include:
[Hypothesis Presented]
[Supporting Evidence]
[Weaknesses of Hypothesis]
[How to Address Weaknesses]
[Conclusions Reached]
[Any Questions that Arise]
[Especially, Questions
about the Validity of Certain Conclusions]
[Questions Left
Unanswered]
[Follow-up Assignment of
Who Will Answer for Next Class]
Guidelines for Reading from Assigned Texts
Group Work: Class Administration
We will end each class period with a reading. A member of the group in charge of class administration for the day will pick a selection from the day's assigned reading. The student may choose to read whatever section he or she desires. It is expected that the reading will last three to five minutes. It is also expected that the student will choose a continuous reading selection rather than three or four excerpts from different areas of the text. There will be no questions after the reading. The student is not expected to give a rationale for why she or he chose the selection. It is suggested the student read a selection that has personal interest for one reason or another. It is recommended that the student practice reading before hand to have some idea of how long the reading will last.
We will end each class period with a reading. A member of the group in charge of class administration for the day will pick a selection from the day's assigned reading. The student may choose to read whatever section he or she desires. It is expected that the reading will last three to five minutes. It is also expected that the student will choose a continuous reading selection rather than three or four excerpts from different areas of the text. There will be no questions after the reading. The student is not expected to give a rationale for why she or he chose the selection. It is suggested the student read a selection that has personal interest for one reason or another. It is recommended that the student practice reading before hand to have some idea of how long the reading will last.
Group Work: Presentation
On regular class days, three of the four groups will be responsible for presenting research from the assigned readings for the day. Presentations should last five to seven minutes.The group will receive a prompt sheet outlining the research they should complete and what they should present during the class period. The group is responsible for the work, however, it is expected only one or two individuals will present each class period. The students presenting will submit a digital copy of the notes they have written up in response to the prompt sheet before the class begins.
These presentations serve as a chance for students to practice research in a place where they are free to explore and be creative. These research presentations serve as preparation for the writing and analysis they will write up for the graded examinations.
Credit for Presentations
Students receive credit for each time they participate in presenting. It is up to the groups to equally share the opportunities to present. Students organize themselves however they like, swapping assignments if they like. Students only receive a check or a check plus for their effort. There is no score for their work.
These presentations serve as a chance for students to practice research in a place where they are free to explore and be creative. These research presentations serve as preparation for the writing and analysis they will write up for the graded examinations.
Credit for Presentations
Students receive credit for each time they participate in presenting. It is up to the groups to equally share the opportunities to present. Students organize themselves however they like, swapping assignments if they like. Students only receive a check or a check plus for their effort. There is no score for their work.
University Statements
The following three statements must appear verbatim on all Stony Brook syllabi.
- DISABILITY SUPPORT SERVICES (DSS): If you have a physical, psychological, medical or learning disability that may impact your course work, please contact Disability Support Services, ECC (Educational Communications Center) Building, room128, (631) 632-6748. They will determine with you what accommodations, if any, are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation is confidential.
- ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be personally accountable for all submitted work. Representing another person's work as your own is always wrong. Faculty are required to report any suspected instances of academic dishonesty to the Academic Judiciary. For more comprehensive information on academic integrity, including categories of academic dishonesty, please refer to the academic judiciary website : http://www.stonybrook.edu/uaa/academicjudiciary/
- CRITICAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT: Stony Brook University expects students to respect the rights, privileges, and property of other people. Faculty are required to report to the Office of Judicial Affairs any disruptive behavior that interrupts their ability to teach, compromises the safety of the learning environment, or inhibits students' ability to learn.
Please see the University Conduct Code for more information: University Conduct Code and Rules for the Maintenance of Public Order.
Instructor Information
Name
........................ Ryan Thomas Barnhart
Title
........................ Teaching Assistant
Department
........................ Cultural Analysis & Theory
........................ rtbarnha@ic.sunysb.edu
Office Location
........................ Humanities Building, Rm. 2063
Office Hours
........................ Tuesday & Thursday, 10:15AM – 12:15PM, and by appointment
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