Hum
1110
How to Do the
Papers |
|
Introduction: Homework Basics
The homework for our course, 40% of your grade,
consists primarily of reading and writing. There are three main kinds of
homework:
-
Reading the textbook
readings and/or outside readings
-
Writing "Comments" about the readings
-
Completing "Practice Activities"--writing on outside
readings and/or making arts/crafts
There are other miscellaneous homework assignments, as
well. Simply check
the Weekly
Assignments page every
week.
How many assignments are there? A lot. However, they are not
tough to do, just time consuming. There are two or three chapters of
textbooks to read each week, and two papers to write. However, one of the
textbook chapters almost always will be relatively short and easy.
In addition, most of the weekly homework papers also are
short and relatively easy. These weekly papers include a number of short,
rough-draft, quickly and even sloppily written papers done either by pen,
computer printout, or email: just neat enough for me to read them, not revised,
and written as quickly as you can. You'll get a check mark for doing them
and receive a grade at the end of the term for how many check marks you've
received.
These papers are like lab practice in a biology course: they
will show me you've done the readings and help you practice the humanities and
think about them more. I am doing these kinds of assignments instead of
having several objective tests or several graded papers because I believe that
in the long run, you'll learn more from writing on a weekly basis about what
you've read.
Due
Dates & Delivery
The
due days and delivery methods are as follows:
-
delivery by email: please write your email's "Subject"
line title as follows:
-
delivery to my IHCC office, B-136 by Thurs.
3:30 pm (immediately
inside the main doors of the business building, make a hard right--my mailbox
is beside my office door, in alphabetical order with others)
-
delivery by mail with a postmark of Thurs. (Richard Jewell, 410 Groveland
Ave., #401, Mpls., MN 55403, or to me, B-136, at IHCC's address)
-
Also, please write your assignment in the
text of the email, and
not as an attachment. This is because it takes me longer to
process attachments, especially if I were getting dozens of them each week.
-
You also can write your weekly paper in MSWord
first, then copy and paste it into your email message.
-
delivery by Friday noon in person to my home address near the Guthrie, the
Walker, and Loring Park in Minneapolis (see "Contact
Richard" for more info).
LATE PAPERS and MAKE UP:
"See "Late Papers and Make Up"
below.
SUBMITTING WEEKLY PAPERS BY EMAIL?
SAVING ONLINE MESSAGES:
Are you sending homework by email? Always keep a copy in
case your email is lost. Keep it until the end of the term.
If your email system has a "sent mail" folder, you may want to not
delete items from the folder until after you have received your final grade.
Are you using a bulletin board (BB)? Be careful to wait until you see your
message appear on the bulletin board, like other messages, before
doing anything else on your computer. If you still have trouble losing BB
messages, write and save them in MS Word first; then copy them to the BB and
send them.
ALSO:
(1) Please make them in-text--in the text of
your email itself--not attached. That
means you should simply write them as an email message or, if you already have
them on a word processing file, you should use your mouse and your "Edit"
function to mark, then "Copy," and then "Paste" them into a regular email
message.
(2) To help me keep your paper separate from
my regular email, use this subject title: Course # & section #, the
Week Due, Assignment Type, and Name+Initial: e.g., "1111-99 Wk. 5 Comments
Sue J.,"
(3) Always keep a copy until after the end of the course when you've
received your course grade.
(4) If you send me an email message
(other than homework), please write "Question" in the subject line so
I'll open it right away. Be sure your full name is somewhere in the
email, too. And in the first several weeks, please remind me which course
and section you're in. I ask this because I receive several dozen homework
assignments each week by email, and I only open homework once or twice per week.
(5-05)
---
Readings
Your textbooks are listed in
Textbooks (see above navigation bar). DO NOT
buy your textbooks until you've read the "Textbooks" page about your
choices--you do not have to buy all of the textbooks. You may want to buy
early if you plan to order used copies (much, much cheaper) on Amazon.com, or to
make sure you get exactly the choice of textbook you want from the three
options--the bookstore does not have enough of any one option for the entire
class.
Your week-by-week assignments are listed in
Dates/Asgnmts. (see above navigation bar). Start by
reading the "Week 1" assignments.
Weekly Homework
Papers (Comments, Class Journals, Practice Activities,
and Final Homework Paper)
Please remember that you may write these as
"lab" papers--in very rough-draft form--without worrying about grammatical
usage, spelling, or punctuation:
NOTE ABOUT AVOIDING PLAGIARISM: Remember to
always give credit to someone whose words or ideas you
are using. If you're using an author's or student's actual words, be sure to
put them in quotation marks (" ") and tell us who said it. If you're using
someone's idea (a book, another student) and it's a unique idea (not
something you can find everywhere), be sure to give the author or student
the credit for the idea.
-
Comments
. DUE WEEKLY, Weeks 2-14. The
comments on course textbook readings are your responses to the assigned
textbook readings, 150+ w. each, with at least 50+ w. on each chapter or
literary reading.
When should you do these Comments? You may do these as you read, or
after you're done reading.
How should you write them? You may
-
(1) write answers to
some or all of the study questions at the ends of the chapters in the
assigned textbook readings;
-
(2) summarize by writing a line per
page, or two lines per two pages, three for three, or four lines,
summing up the contents of these pages;
-
(3) respond by writing a line per page,
two for two, three for three, or four for four, reacting to what you
have read (e.g., describing what the pages make you think of, whether you disagree or agree and why, what
they make
you feel, imagine, or desire, and how or why, etc.);
-
(4) you may do an outline or diagram of
the chapter (as long as you have the required 150+ w.); or you even may try
out some of the art forms discussed in some parts of some chapters.
I'm open to other alternatives, as long as you demonstrate in some way that
you have read each page of each chapter.
-
Class
Journals: DUE OCCASIONALLY. These are your
letters to me, in effect, about yourself and the course, 300 w. each.
Only a few (or less) are expected each semester: see your
"Schedule" for the due dates.
-
Practice Activities:
DUE WEEKLY, Weeks 3-14. PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY & THOROUGHLY
TWO-THREE TIMES! There is a lot to understand about these important weekly
papers.
The
Practice Activities are your rough-draft, academic "practice" of the
humanities (e.g., writing a paper or doing an art project) about one of the
subjects and times discussed in your textbooks. There are several kinds
of Practice Activities, and if you do all thirteen of them, you must try at least
four different
types of the groupings listed below. (If you do twelve or fewer Practice
Activities, then you may do only three different types.)
Also, you may do up to three weeks'
worth at one
time--as long as each one separately is in on time (at the
beginning of that 2 or 3 week period, not the middle or end of it!).
Your Practice
Activities must always be on, of, from, or related to the time periods
(ancient through about 1500 A.D.) and places (Europe, Middle East, North
Africa, and the pre-1500s Americas) we cover in this course.
One thing you may NOT do for Practice Activities is write about the assigned
textbook readings: instead, you must always, for Practice Activities, go
outside of your assigned textbook readings.
How do you start a paper or report on a Practice Activity? On a piece
of paper, state--in the upper-right corner--the following
-
your name,
-
the class (1110-___),
-
"Week #__ Practice Paper," and
-
the type of practice paper (e.g., Web Site Report, Creative
Paper, etc.).
How do you write or do them? Here are guidelines:
o
NOTE #1: Please remember to state your source, if you need one, in
your first sentence. (Again, this source can NOT be one of the textbook
readings. The exception would be if you read the assigned readings from
BOTH authors--Lamm AND Fiero. And if you do that, be sure to let me know.)
o
NOTE #2: Remember to state your TYPE of paper (as in bold face
above) in the upper-right corner of page one, along with your name, week #, and
Practice Activity #.
o
NOTE #3: Remember, again, that whatever you choose, the subject that you
choose must be from a time period (and humanities subject) covered in our
textbook chapters. In other words, you must work on a subject
from the Western humanities from ancient through renaissance times.
No other times are acceptable, nor are other geographical areas (e.g., something
about Asia would not be acceptable, nor would
something about 1700s France).
o
NOTE #4: You must use at least three
different types--and never do more than 3 or 4 of any one type. The types are
listed below.
o
NOTE #5: No matter what week we are in (in
the textbooks), you can work on any subject from any time period from the course
and any place in Western civilization.
o
NOTE #6: As mentioned above, you can do up to
three Practice Activities at a time as one longer one. However, to do this, you
must, for a double PA, write/do twice as much (with twice as many Web
sources or book pages) as described below.
And for a triple PA, you must
write/do three times as much (with three times as many Web sources or book
pages) as described below. (I.e., simply read the directions for a type of Practice Activity below,
and then double or
triple everything you should do.)
If you are doing a double or
triple Practice Activity, please tell me that it is a double or a triple
PA--otherwise, I will not know I should give you credit for more than one.
What
kind of Practice Activities may you do? Here is a list:
Practice Activity Types:
“bw” = book and/or web report. “ph”
= photo report.
“st”= story.“vp” =
visit/play/game. “vm” = video/movie.
“ac” = art/craft. “pres” = web/Pwrpnt./class presentation
You may do any one
type no more than 4 times.
I.e., do at least three different types during the semester.
|
A.
Book Report
and/or Web Site Report ("bw")
This involves reading from sources and writing about
them.
Rough draft, 300+ w.
A report, summary, and/or
discussion of a reading that is from OTHER THAN our own textbooks or required
web readings. State the source(s) in your first sentence.
Note: Double the page or screen count and 600+ w. = 2 Practice Activities;
triple the page or screen count and 900+ w. = 3 Activities.
Books: from 10+ large,
double-columned pages (as, for example, in the Encyclopedia Britannica),
20+ regular large-sized book pages, or 30+ pp. of a small paperback.
Do not count the photos on a page when counting pages.
Web sites: 20 screens of a Web site with large print and pictures, or 10
screens of a Web site with small print and small or no pictures.
NOTES:
Books: You
may, if you wish, read the alternative reading for the week (e.g., if you read
Lamm, then also read Fiero), but if you do this, be sure to count the number of
pages. Deduct parts of pages for all the photos and charts. When you
ask for credit for this kind of PA, be sure to write at the top something like
"Read both Lamm and Fiero for the required week."
Web sites: You may, if you need to, combine several Web sites to get the total required number of
screen pages; just be
sure to state the URL--the Web address--of each site you use. Some Web
sites are listed here: go to the top of the page and click on "Links to
Humanities Web Sites."
B. Photo Report
("ph")
This involves copying
photos and writing a little about each.
Rough draft, 200+ w. & 4+ copies
of paintings, drawings, etc. from a source other than our textbooks. A much shorter paper presenting some drawings, musical compositions, etc. State the source in your first sentence.
400+ w. &
8+ illustrations = 2 Practice Activities, and 600+ w. & 12+ illus. = 3
Activities.
C. Creative
Story ("st")
This involves writing
a story.
Rough draft, 600+ w.
A fictional short story, a
play, an imaginary journal/diary, an imaginary dialogue, etc. You also may
make your own video of a play, ancient story, etc.
1200+ w. =
2 Practice Activities; 1800+ w. = 3 Practice Activities.
D. Humanities Program Site Visit,
Play, or Game ("vp")
This involves
visiting a humanities program or site (such as a museum from our pre-1500
geographical area) or play (from our pre-1500 geographical area, or playing a
game (from our pre-1500 geographical area, and writing a report about it.
Rough draft, 300+ w.
A
brief, casual report on a humanities activity outside of class that
you've done, seen, or played for about 1 hour this semester--a museum, a
real stage play, or an ancient/medieval/ renaissance game you've played.
2 hrs.
& 600+ w. = 2 Practice Activities; 3 hrs. & 900+ w. = 3 Practice
Activities.
Note 1: You cannot count
this for both attendance credit/make up AND a Practice Activity.
Note 2: There are
several such board games, including one I have in my office that you may borrow.
There also is a video game called "Sid Meier’s Civilization IV."
Note 3: If you attend a live event (e.g., a live play or live museum visit]
that lasts two hours or more, you may count your travel time, if you
wish--actual time--but no more than 1 hr. total travel time. This means,
for example, that a two-hour visit to a museum or live play 1/2 hr. from your
home may be counted as 3 hrs.--as 3 Practice Activities--if you write 900+ w.)
E. Video/Movie
("vm")
This involves watching a video, movie, or TV show about our pre-1500
geographical area and writing about it.
Rough draft, 300+ w.). A
brief, casual report on a humanities activity outside of class that
you've seen for about 1 hour this semester, such as a
humanities television show or video, or a TV show, video, or movie of a work of
art. What you watch must be
a serious, high-quality production that accurately reflects either actual
history from an appropriate time period and geographical area for this course,
or accurately reflects a work of art (e.g., a Greek or Shakespeare play; or a
movie based on a book such as
Beowulf,
The Iliad, or The Odyssey) from an
appropriate time period and geographical area. You cannot count
this for both attendance credit/make up AND a Practice Activity.
2 hrs.
& 600+ w. = 2 Practice Activities; 3 hrs. & 900+ w. = 3 Practice
Activities.
Note: You may not
count travel time to and from a movie.
F.
Art or Craft You Make ("ac")
This involves making
a craft item, a drawing, a painting, or the like.
Rough draft, 1 hr. of actual work,
(after developing the idea). A drawing, painting, music, dance, architectural sketch,
etc., plus 100+ words describing what it is and why/how it applies to one of the
time periods discussed in the textbooks.
2 hrs. of work & 200+ w. = 2
Practice Activities; 3 hrs. of work & 300+ w. = 3 Practice Activities.
G.
Web Site, Oral or PowerPoint Presentation
("pres")
This involves
creating a web site, web page, oral, or PowerPoint presentation to/for the
class to see or hear.
You must prepare it
for the class to see or hear on any subject having to do with our pre-1500
geographical areas. 100+ w. of rough-draft writing and 6-8 minutes of a
presentation to the class.
200+ w. & 13-15 min. = 2 Practice Activities, and 300+ w. & 20-22 min.
= 3 Activities.
H.
Creative Combination of the above.
I'll also accept some kind of creative combination of the above categories, but
ask me about it, first.
-
Final
Analysis-Paper Homework--"Analysis of Your Humanities Experiences,"
900+ w., worth 9 X's.
DUE WKS. 15/16/17.
Read these requirements carefully two or three
times, starting in Week 14 or earlier. This is your "final," though it is
somewhat of a rough draft and does not get a letter grade. Still, you must
write it in order to pass the class, and you must get at least 5 of 9 X's
on it to pass the class. It will take some time, which is why you have three
weeks--and fewer other assignments--to complete it at the end of the course.
Here are the requirements (after the "Suggested Process"):
Suggested Process:
- You would be wise to try to get it done early--the end of Wk. 15.
Then send it to me, and ask me if it's missing something seriously important. then I can give you a chance to revise it.
- Write the first draft in Wk. 14 if possible.
- This kind of paper may work best if you write a rough draft first, then shape it into the sections and paragraphs required below.
- Note that the paper requires 6+ quotations! Add your quotations whenever it's easiest--as you write the first draft, as you
organize, and/or after you finish organizing.
Subject: Required. Write 900+ words
reflecting on and analyzing your humanities experiences. Use at least two
quotations per body section (6+ quotations total) from two or more sources.
Organization, General: Required. Do this
carefully--horrible or no organizing could lead to the loss of 2-3 X's on this
homework assignment. Use the following parts, with an Underlined Subtitle
for each one as shown underlined here:
- 5 Main Parts:
Introduction (1 paragraph)
Past Life Experiences with the
Humanities (2+ parags.)
Current Experiences with the Humanities (2+ parags.)
Possible Future Experiences with the Humanities (2+
parags.)
Conclusion (1 paragraph)
Works Cited page (bibliography) on a separate page
- Manuscript Form: Use a separate (not an email) MS Word attachment
or printed paper, doublespaced, in 12-point Times New Roman font.
- Paragraphs: no more than 200 w. max. per paragraph. You must have just 1 par. each for the intro and concl., and at least 2 par.
per body section. (8 or more paragraphs, total)
- Subtitles: Introduction, 3 body sections, and Conclusion should be the five Underlined Subtitles above.
- Topic Sentences: Each paragraph should begin with a
sentence summarizing, announcing, or implying what the paragraph will
say.
Contents: Write about the following.
- Your Introduction (1 par. under
200 w.) should state that this essay is about your "analysis of your humanities experiences," and summarize briefly what you are going to say in your 3 sections.
- Your Conclusion (1 par. under 200 w.).should reach some
kind of summarizing ending about what you've said in your 3 sections.
- Your Works Cited page (a
bibliography page--one separate page by itself at the end of the rest of you
paper) should list your two or more sources.
- Your 3 body sections must discuss the
following 3 subjects in 2+ paragraphs each:
Section 1:
Your Past Life Experiences with the
Humanities
before this term--What worked, what didn't, what was
most positive or most missing in your life Humanities
experiences before this semester, and/or what might you
go back in your life and change regarding such
experiences? (2 or more paragraphs)
Section 2:
Your Current Experiences with Humanities (in
general or in this course) during approximately this this
current semester--What new experiences may have have
changed or affected you as an individual, what new new
experiences didn't change or affect you, and what--if
you'd had more time--other experiences might you have
found challenging, interesting, or useful in the past few
months? (2+ par.)
Section 3:
Your Possible Future Experiences with Humanities-
What would you like to do, will do, and won't do in the
future in terms of the Humanities, what will you
experience/give to your family, friends, and yourself,
etc.? (2+ par.--Don't be
too short with this! List a number
of possibilities you could
follow!)
Research Quotations: Add the following:
- 2+ quotations per body section (6+ total) from any of our main texts or other legitimate sources. (But NOT from physical or online dictionaries, encyclopedias, web page definitions, Wikipedia,
famous quotations sources, etc.) (6+ quotations total). If you're in doubt about whether a
source is okay for quotations, just ask me! If you don't do the quotations, I will take off several X's--and you must have at least 5 X's on this homework paper to
pass the class. Be sure to have a bibliography for your sources on a separate
page at the end of the paper, too!
Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation: You don't
have to make this paper perfect--just edit your paper at least once, carefully,
before you turn it in--so I can read it relatively easily. Horrible or no real
editing--grammar, spelling, and punctuation --will lead to a loss of at least one
X. If the paper is unreadable, I won't look at it, and you won't pass the class.
Manuscript Submission Form: Typed, double spaced,
as a Word document that is
(1) attached to an email
OR
(2) mailed to me as a manuscript through U.S. Post Office mail five days before
the effective due date
OR
(3) placed under my door while I still will be coming to campus
OR
(4) brought to my condo by the effective due date.
Here is an example of this final paper from a previous
student:
EXAMPLE OF THE FINAL ANALYSIS PAPER
(7-'17)
Melissa Rose
Professor Jewell
Humanities 1110
12/10/2015
Final Humanities Paper:
Analysis of My Humanities Experiences
Introduction
Humanities are the arts that define our culture. They are shared
experiences and personal preferences. The shared experiences are
what bring us together to shape our culture, and our personal
preferences allow us to express our individualism. Have you stopped
to think about how you have experienced the humanities lately?
Chances are, you experience them every day without even realizing
it. After a great humanities course this semester, I was reminded
of not only what I enjoy about the humanities, but also what I
learned about all the ways I can appreciate them, in a variety of
forms. And, it gave me a chance to reflect on what I have enjoyed
in the past and how my experiences now are different and how they
are the same. I also was able to expand my knowledge of how past
cultures are still relevant in influencing our modern day
societies. The very basis of the humanities has never changed. The
way the humanities can influence our daily lives can be subtle and
we may need to take a few minutes just to reflect on the beauty and
simplicity that can be found.
My
Past Life Experiences with the Humanities
I have always loved being creative. For as long as I can remember I
have loved to craft. As a kid I would spend hours coloring,
painting, and making things, and I learned to sew by the time I was
ten. One of the most vivid memories I have of spending time with my
grandpa, a hardworking man of very little words, was when he let me
crawl in his lap and color a picture of strawberries in a basket
with him. He showed me how to use long crayon strokes to fill in
the berries and make them look uniform instead of choppy. I
couldn’t have been older than six or seven, but I’ll never forget
how proud I was of that page torn from a coloring book. I can still
picture how perfectly red my strawberries looked. Now, Grandpa is
not an artsy man, but an experience of one of the many forms of the
humanities, something as simple as coloring, brought us together and
created a memory that has lasted a lifetime. It was the shared
experience that has made the memory so special.
Art is an unspoken language that is used to express emotions,
feelings, and idea. Arts and crafts are a way I now use to spend
time with my littles ones. They think it is fun, but really, we are
building memories. The honest pride on their faces when we display
pieces on the fridge is not something that can be taught or learned;
it comes only from experiences. Richard Jewell, author of
Experiencing the Humanities, says, “When an artist creates a
work of art such as painting, a sculpture, or a piece of music, he
or she is communication with us just as surely as if she were
talking to us” (Ch. 8). I also remember how proud I was when I
would make something and give it someone. It is sharing a piece of
yourself. While I may not have known, as a child, that this was what
made it special, I knew it was something I enjoyed.
I don’t ever remember being bored as a kid because I loved to read
and act. When I was in 6th grade, I read more books than
anyone in my class and reached my school year goal of reading over
50,000 words. I loved reading because I could always find a
character I wanted to be like and could relate to. We learned
that “[s]ometimes it is not so much the subject matter that makes
a piece of writing literature, as it is the way in which the subject
matter is handled” (Jewell Ch. 13). I loved plays for the same
reason and would go home and re-enact my favorite scenes. In fact,
I was involved in theater as a kid. The thrill of being on stage
was so much fun. The art of storytelling through reading and acting
is something that I still practice today when reading to my own
kids. They love it when I change voices for characters and
different parts of stories. It makes it more real for them. Had I
not had those past experiences, I’m not sure that I would have the
same appreciation I do now for getting to share something as simple
as a story. It may sound like just part of parenthood, but really
I’m teaching my children an appreciation for the humanities.
My
Current Experiences with Humanities
Prior to taking this humanities course, I had stopped taking time
out for myself to slow down and appreciate the humanities I had
always loved. The only books I was reading were parenting books,
the only art I was doing was kid’s crafts, and the only thing I was
watching were Disney movies. This is not to say that these aren’t
experiences in humanities themselves, but they weren’t things that I
was doing for myself. Part of experiencing the humanities is
practicing things you enjoy and are passionate about. When you can
take time for these things, it allows you a chance to reset or
energize. It also opens up the door for you to share your
experiences with others who have the same interests.
During this semester I was able to re-experience several forms of
the humanities that I really enjoy. The course offered several fun,
interactive ways to get the class involved. Trips to The
Minneapolis Institute of Arts were not only educational and relevant
to the text we were studying, but they offered a chance to open
dialogue with others regarding how they perceived a particular piece
of artwork or sculpture. My favorite course-work events were
attending plays. I had the opportunity to attend Shakespeare’s
As You Like It and was truly captivated. I believe Shakespeare
is meant to be experienced, not just read. Shakespeare is known as
one of the most influential writers ever. “It is in his
tragedies, and especially the tragedies of his mature career . . .
that Shakespeare achieved the concentration of thought and language
that have made him the greatest English playwright of all time”
(Fiero 143). Not only that, but seeing this play gave me an
opportunity to share my excitement with friends, and I think that is
a just-as-important piece of the humanities. When you can connect
and feel from something so much that others want to experience it
with you, too, this is a very powerful thing.
Another experience I really enjoyed this semester were the
“assignments” of practicing humanities on our own. I knew right
away there were several things I wanted to do. I made time to read
a book, watch Shakespeare films, and paint. The painting sessions I
did were experiences I will never forget: because I have them
displayed in my home, and even more because of what I got to share
with others. For the first painting I did, I was privileged to
assist in leading a group. This was such a humbling experience, in
that I got to watch others – who haven’t had experience painting –
discover something new. It was also special because it was a group
project with a message behind our painting: flourish fiercely. And
getting lost in creating something and focusing on color and brush
strokes allows me to flourish by channeling energy into my
painting. “Great works of art always are, to some extent,
interactive works” (Jewell Ch. 14). That shared energy,
experiencing art together, made the room charged that day. I get
such a warm sense of pride and connectedness every time I take time
to look at my own painting from that day.
My
Possible Future Experiences with Humanities
Moving forward from this humanities class, I have a new appreciation
for the humanities. As a kid, I knew what I liked simply because I
enjoyed it, and it made me feel happy. As an adult, I have learned
how important maintaining the relationship with yourself and what
you enjoy is. I will most certainly continue to paint. While it’s
hard to make time for extra reading outside of a full load of course
work, I do enjoy it and hope to catch up on some good novels over
the summer. I’ve already had several friends tell me they would
like to go see a play, but I’m most excited that my daughter has
become interested in seeing a play. I would also like to get my
sewing things out and finish some projects. I would actually like
to reopen my Etsy shop and use breaks to create and then sell: not
only could I take time to practice something I enjoy, but hopefully
I could make some extra spending money, too, perhaps to use for
other humanities experiences (or to take time out to pamper myself a
little).
I also need to take time to try new things and expand my experiences
with the humanities. The only way to learn is by trying new
things. Author of The Humanities Ronald Witt says that “the
study of the humanities should involve a process of individual
growth and self-knowledge just as valid today as it was hundreds of
years ago” (xxv). Just because I’ve never done something before
doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try it. I think that a big part of
experiencing the humanities is having an open mind. “We can
learn more about ourselves and our friends and everyone who works
around us. We can realize our own potentials, and the potentials of
others, much more thoroughly” (Jewell Ch. 1). Next semester I
am taking an intro to philosophy class, and I am really excited
about it. I am looking forward to learning more about how others
perceive things around them. I could have the same physical
experience as someone else, but we could both have different
perspectives on it. I am also taking a creative writing course,
which will allow me to connect my love of stories, plays, and
writing. Writing for others to read, especially for enjoyment, will
be a new experience for me.
Conclusion
Our experiences with the humanities build from the time we are very
little. The humanities help us develop our individuality, shaping
who we are. As we grow we learn about things we like and don’t
like. And that should never stop. We should always be striving to
continue to grow as people. Our experiences help us connect with
others, and we then become part of a larger community. That
community is part of a larger social society, and we become part of
our culture. The experiences and memories we create through
practicing the humanities are a valuable part of our life. As
history has shown us, things that seem so simple, a painting, a
book, a play, can transcend time. People can relate to the
humanities no matter their age, or whether it is current pop culture
or classic renaissance art.
Works Cited
Fiero, Gloria. The Humanistic Tradition. New York: McGraw
Hill, 2011. Book 3. Print.
Jewell, Richard. Experiencing the Humanities. Internet.
Accessed 12/10/2015
www.CollegeHumanities.org.
Witt, Ronald. The Humanities. Boston: Wadsworth, 2005. 7th
Ed. Print. |
-
Comments
. DUE WEEKLY, Weeks 2-14. The
comments on course textbook readings are your responses to the assigned
textbook readings, 150+ w. each, with at least 50+ w. on each chapter or
literary reading.
When should you do these Comments? You may do these as you read, or
after you're done reading.
How should you write them? You may
-
(1) write answers to
some or all of the study questions at the ends of the chapters in the
assigned textbook readings;
-
(2) summarize by writing a line per
page, or two lines per two pages, three for three, or four lines,
summing up the contents of these pages;
-
(3) respond by writing a line per page,
two for two, three for three, or four for four, reacting to what you
have read (e.g., describing what the pges make you think of, whether you disagree or agree and why, what
they make
you feel, imagine, or desire, and how or why, etc.);
-
(4) you may do an outline or diagram of
the chapter (as long as you have the required 150+ w.); or you even may try
out some of the art forms discussed in some parts of some chapters.
I'm open to other alternatives, as long as you demonstrate in some way that
you have read each page of each chapter.
Late Papers and
Make Up
There is no makeup for the homework activities. If
you miss doing them, then you cannot get credit for them. If you are interested in doing makeup/extra credit
that gets added to your attendance grade, then please go
to "Attendance/Makeup
and Extra Credit."
Why don't I allow make up of missed homework?
There are three reasons. They all boil down to the fact that we can't
accomplish as much, have as much fun, or develop your writing abilities as well
if make ups are regularly allowed. If you're interested in the four
reasons individually, here they are.
-
First and most important, much of the value of doing homework is gone when you do
it late--after we have discussed it in class/on the bulletin board. If a
lot of people didn't read the assignment on time (which is what happens when a
teacher doesn't require it), I would have to review and explain the assignment
step by step before we, as a whole class, could practice it or talk about it in
some way. And if I did this, even fewer people would want to read the
assignment, which would result in my needing to review the assignment in class
or online
even longer. As a result, there would be no point in giving the
assignment, and all I would be doing is spending each class reviewing.
Instead, if most of you have read the assignment ahead of time, not only will
you know the material much better, but also--and more important--we can do
something with the material in class. We can do group work, class games,
discussion and sharing, etc., etc.
-
In addition, you won't be able to talk very well
on the online D2L discussion boards if you haven't read the assignment. You
might say things that don't even apply, and/or other people in the class might
have to take the time to tell you what is in the reading assignment.
-
Another reason why I don't allow make up of missed
homework is that I then would have way too many papers to process in the last
few weeks of the class.
There are, however, exceptions. They are as follows:
-
(a) In the first several weeks, if you have made an honest mistake about when
something is due, talk with me, and I can make an exception. This is good
only for a few weeks, until everyone understands the rules.
-
(b) In the F2F (face-to-face), on-campus section of the course,
only, no weekly homework is due if you aren't
in class. You will get "0's" for being absent, and then your
papers are not due until the next time you come to class. The next time,
simply write on them "wasn't here last week," and I'll accept them
automatically for full credit.
-
(c) In the FOL (fully-online) section of the course, weekly homework may be up to one week late
for anyone for any reason (no excuse needs to be given), but no later, and
will be automatically accepted within that one week period.
-
(d) If you miss some of your homework, you cannot make it up. However,
there is a way to do make up/extra credit for attendance. Doing so can
affect your overall grade so much that it can help bring up a poor homework
grade. For example, if you were to receive a "B" for homework
(40% of your overall grade) because of missing assignments, you could do a lot
of make up and extra credit work for attendance and receive an
"A++++++" for attendance (20% of your overall grade); each
"+" equals 1/3 of a letter grade, and the two grades here would
average to a full "A."
Again, if you are interested in doing
make up/extra credit for attendance, please go
to "Attendance/Make
Up
and Extra Credit."
---
Return to top.
|