English
3010: Intermediate Composition & Disney Studies
Taught Winter 2000/Section 021 at Wayne State University
MW 3:00-4:20 p.m.
324 State Hall & 029 State Hall (Macintosh lab) or
337 State Hall (PC lab)
Contact Information
Instructor:
Samantha Blackmon
Email: blackmos@purdue.edu
Course Description
This course satisfies the General
Education Intermediate Composition requirement.
The purpose of this course is
twofold. First, the course fulfills the intermediate composition requirements
of Wayne State University; it focuses on students’ growing academic research
and writing skills (see
Course Objectives). Second, the course is
thematically designed to introduce students to the fields of material culture
and visual culture, as well as to Disney studies. Rather than reinforcing
distinctions between the academic and the everyday, this course emphasizes the
participatory research and writing of active, knowledgeable student/scholars.
To this end, the course emphasizes various forms of collaborative work: between
instructor and students, among class members, with another section of English
3010, and within public spheres.
To help us engage further with
these interests and objectives, this course has been designed to utilize the
World Wide Web (WWW) and computer classroom. It is the expectation that all
students in this section of 3010 willingly engage with computers and on-line
technology. The course has an on-line syllaweb that contains information
pertaining to the course. In addition, we will participate on forums, in-class
computer writing, website construction, and MOO spaces.
Course Objectives
The majors goals of
English 3010 are to teach students:
• To develop an understanding of and
appreciation for writing as a wide-ranging, creative, intellectual activity
that takes many forms, both academic and non-academic. Understanding and
appreciating writing means recognizing how it shapes culture, institutional
practices and knowledge making various academic and professional fields.
• To obtain effective strategies for accessing
and evaluating different forms of writing (books, magazines, academic journals,
psychological case studies, business memorandums) and cultural productions
(film, television, art, music, computer). Evaluating these and other sources
means analyzing and interpreting language and communication, expressing
opinions, evaluating sources and introducing new or controversial ideas. It
includes the ability to identify underlying premises, grounds for arguments,
and appeals to logic, emotions and ethics.
• To understand how sources can be integrated
to help produce knowledge in a piece of writing. This means mastering the art
of quotation, paraphrase and summary for the sake of advancing arguments, and
understanding how the ideas, words and images of others relate to their own
writing and why.
• To achieve a
level of writing appropriate to advance undergraduate disciplinary standards.
This involves creating arguments by means of developing logical composing
strategies. Advanced argumentation is concerned with discovering and conveying
best judgments about the nature of reality and issues through appeals to
reason. Taking a strong position on a particular subject represents a wider
range of options than strictly pro or con debates; it may cast an issue in a
new light, leading readers to rethink their understanding of issues involved.
• To learn to
critique their own writing and to internalize the purposes of revision. This
means both learning to recognize errors and exploring ways of expressing ideas
and structuring papers that engage readers and further meanings in new.
enlightening or surprising ways.
• To use
writing for a variety of purposes, both inside and outside the university. Students
should learn how to communicate in academic and professional settings. They
should also learn how writing can help us identify, understand and negotiate
cultural identity and cultural differences.
Required Materials:
• Raimes, Ann. Keys for Writers. (see me if you have another
handbook)
• Fees for Video Rentals
• Copying Cards (for Course Pack materials placed on reserve at
Purdy/Kresge Library)
• Two computer disks (one for submission to me, one for back-up)
• Folder or holder (for Disney archive)
COURSE EXPECTATIONS/PARTICIPATION
In order to accomplish the course goals, you must come to
each class prepared. This means coming
to class on time, as well as completing your readings and outside
assignments. Active and informed
participation in class discussions and collaborative work is also crucial. In
terms of writing assignments, you will be required to complete two
collaborative writing projects, a Disney archive, two proposals, reading
responses and reaction papers, evaluations, and a MOO space as your final
research project.
Class
Participation & Assignments: This is
one of the most important components to the success of the course. All reading,
screening and outside assignments are to be completed prior to class. This means viewing and reading carefully and
critically, bringing materials to class, and coming prepared to engage with the
ideas and your class. Class investigations are participatory assignments that
include critical and active discussions as well as in-class collaborative work
(200 points possible). I will specify and/or add materials to the tentative
calendar as our course archive develops and if the materials will enhance our
discussions and understanding of the assigned material.
Attendance: Students
who do not attend the first week will be considered to have dropped this
section of English 3010. Please see the Winter 2000 Schedule of Classes
for more information, page 80. Students who do not attend the first week of
classes will not be added.
Attendance is welcomed, expected, and mandatory. To best
utilize our time, come to class on time. You are considered absent if 1) you
are more than 15 minutes late and/or 2) you are unprepared for class. There
will be regular in-class work (see Investigations below) to record your attendance
and preparation for class. You may miss three sessions without
penalty. For every class after the
first three, I will lower your final grade by fifty points. After three
absences you must attend a conference with me to discuss whether you should continue
in this course. Seven absences constitute automatic failure of the
course.
Investigations: At the beginning
of class, there will be either a quiz, brief exercise, or an in-class writing
that will serve as the basis for that day’s class assignment. These must be
completed at the beginning of class; no extra time will be allotted to those
who come to class late. These assignments serve as attendance sheets and become
part of your final grade; they will also serve to focus class examinations of the
material (200 points total).
Writing
Deadlines & Submissions: You are expected to submit assignments by
the deadlines listed. All written work is due at the beginning of class unless
otherwise noted. In order to be considered for a grade, all assignments are to
be complete, of the minimum word count, and must conform to MLA documentation
and format (word-processed, 12 point legible font, double-spacing, with one
inch margins). Keys for Writers, your
required handbook, details MLA documentation. No late papers
are accepted.
Conferences
& Contact: I am open to discussing
matters pertaining to the course, readings, and your writing; please feel free
to contact me via email or phone as well as in person. I hope you will also
take advantage of my office hours and email. Although voluntary, I also
encourage you to schedule outside conferences with me, particularly to discuss
your final project.
Outside the
Classroom: I encourage you to take
advantage of the resources Wayne State offers: the Purdy/Kresge Library, the
Undergraduate Library (UGL) and its twenty-four hour computer facilities, The
Writing Center (also at the UGL), and The Reading Skills Center. I reserve the
right to incorporate these locales into my syllabus, your writing assignments,
or as extra credit.
COURSE
EXPECTATIONS/WRITING
In terms of writing assignments, you will be required to
complete two collaborative writing projects, a Disney archive, two proposals,
reading responses and reaction papers, evaluations, and a MOO space as a final research
project. Below are brief descriptions
of these assignments. More detailed requirements will be distributed throughout
the semester.
All topics will be provided and/or must be approved in
advance. Out-of-class papers must be typed, formatted according to MLA
guidelines, and stapled in the left hand corner (no binders!). All papers must
be submitted by the deadline as both a paper copy and on computer disk. I also reserve the right to ask for your
rough drafts and sources.
Disney/Cultural
Manifestations Protocols: Two focused writings related to course
readings and research, including that of your peers. These are brief,
analytical papers on one of the readings assigned for that day. Further
information on these protocols will be distributed in advance. They must be 500-750 words in length
(approximately 2-3 pages). No late, incomplete, or handwritten protocols will
be accepted, and there will be no make-up assignments (100 points total).
Collaborative
Project: This ongoing project will demonstrate your ability to
analyze a variety of visual texts both as an individual scholar and
collaboratively. The collaborative project will critically engage with Disney
film and the Internet as both primary sources and public spheres. It will
consist of several parts. After an initial, brief collaborative assignment on Snow White (50 points), you will
complete a proposal (50 points) that will be followed by the finished project
(150 points), presentation to the class, and an evaluation of other
collaborations (50 points).
Final
Project: Research Paper Or MOO Project: Your final project will develop an examination of
Disney’s cultural influence and manifestations. Rather than constructing a
traditional research paper, however, you will use your research, including the
previous collaborative project and Disney archive, to construct a MOO space.
The MOO space is an analytical research project that is
the equivalent of approximately 2000-2500 words (8-10 pages) with appropriately
documented, secondary sources. It will critically engage with Disney by using
primary sources and a variety of both popular and scholarly secondary sources.
This project is roughly divided into four parts:
1) Disney Archive
(50 points);
2) Project
Proposal (50 points);
3) 2 Disney/Cultural
Manifestations Protocols (100 points total);
4) Final Project:
Research-based MOO project (250 points); and
5) Final Project
Evaluation (50 points)
Revisions: You may revise
the collaborative project, the protocols, and the MOO project. I will return
each assignment to you with comments, suggestions, and a grade. Works that are
incomplete when originally turned in or papers not received by the deadline are
not eligible for revision. Also, I will not accept revisions without
your original graded project. Revisions of the collaborative project and
protocols are due two weeks from the date they are returned in class. Revisions
of your final project are due on the last day of class.
To assist you in revising, please remember that revision
is an
active rethinking/reworking process. Papers which only correct surface
errors are unacceptable, as are papers which don’t consider feedback. Revision
is not a guarantee of a higher grade.
Missing Work: All assignments
(collaborative project, archive, protocols, MOO space) must be handed in for a
student to receive a passing grade. A failing grade on an assignment does not
necessarily result in failing the course, but if the work is never submitted
you will fail.
Portfolio: Please keep a
folder with all written work for the course.
Bring this folder with you when you attend conferences. You will submit this at the end of the
semester with all major work, revisions, process letter, and a computer disk.
Be sure you keep your copies of all written work with my original comments on
them.
PLAGIARISM
Academic
Dishonesty
Cheating: All
written work submitted for a grade in this course must be the product of your
own composition. Ideas generated due to reading and group discussion may provide
the inspiration for your work, but should not be the sole ideas represented.
With collaborative projects, of course, ideas should be representative of the
group’s work.
Plagiarism is the act of
presenting as your own work another individual’s ideas, words, data, or
research material. The concept applies equally to written, spoken, or
electronic texts, published or unpublished. All ideas and quotations that you
borrow from any source must be acknowledged: at a minimum, you should give the
name of your author, the title of the text cited, and the page number(s) of the
citation. The only exceptions to this requirement would involve what is
familiar and commonly held (e.g. a
well-known quote from Shakespeare). You should know that penalties for
plagiarism are severe and can entail suspension from the University. Students
are responsible for reading and understanding the University policy on Cheating
and Plagiarism set forth in the WSU Undergraduate Bulletin.
D.K. Peterson’s
Position on Cheating:
I consider
cheating/plagiarism one of the most serious academic offenses, whether through
deliberate misrepresentation or sloppy citation practices. There is no reason
to plagiarize in this course; see me if you have concerns or questions. If in
doubt, cite! If you cheat/plagiarize, you will fail the course. With such
offenses, a report also is filed with the Associate Chair, Dean, and University
Judicial Officer.
EVALUATION
POLICIES
Grading System
The following point system details the weight of the
assignments in determining your final grade, barring absences or incomplete
work.
Collaborative Assignment: 050
Collaborative Project Proposal 050
Collaborative Project 150
Collaborative Project Evaluations 050
Disney Archive 050
Final Project Proposals 050
Disney/Cultural Manifestations Protocols 100 (50 points each)
Research Project: MOO space 250
Final Project Evaluations 050
Investigations* 200
Total 1000
points
* Investigations may include any in-class
participatory efforts: discussions, readings, exercises, worksheets,
presentations, and so forth.
Grading Scale
Your points will be translated into percentages; your
final grade will be calculated according to the following percentage scale:
100-94 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-
59- 0 E
Although such instances are rare, I reserve the right to
reward students who have shown dramatic progress with higher grades than the
scale suggests. On the other hand, I will not give a student a lower grade if
all projects are completed and absences do not exceed the maximum allowed.
Note about Incompletes:
The mark of ‘I’ is inappropriate if, in the instructor’s judgment, it
will be necessary for the student regularly to attend subsequent sessions of
the class. I will give an Incomplete
only in cases of emergency. “X”s are appropriate only if the student has not
attended enough classes for the instructor to appropriately determine a final
grade.
ENG 3010: Disney Studies
Winter 2000 Schedule
Course Syllabus On-line at: 3010W00.html
(Syllabus and
Calendar are tentative and subject to change. Please check on-line syllabus for
latest changes. Any hard copy may be obsolete, so be sure to bring it with you
to each class to record all changes.)
WEEK ONE: IT
ALL BEGAN WITH A MOUSE...
M Jan. 10 Introduction
to Computer-Intensive Composition/Disney Studies
W Jan. 12 Screening:
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Collaborative
Assignment Distributed
WEEK TWO: DISNEY’S
FOLLY OR FUTURE?
M Jan. 17 No Class for Observance of MLK, Jr.
Birthday
W Jan. 19 DUE: Collaborative Assignment on Snow White
Investigation:
Snow White
WEEK THREE: DISNEY’S
SECOND GOLDEN AGE
M Jan. 24 Last Day to Add Courses
Screening:
The Lion King
W Jan. 26 Investigation:
The Lion King
Discussion:
Collaborative Project and Proposal
Disney’s
WWW Evaluation Assignment Distributed
WEEK FOUR: IT’S
A SMALL WORLD (WIDE WEB), AFTER ALL
M Jan. 31 Investigation:
Disney and WWW Evaluation
Readings
Distributed: Website Evaluation
W Feb. 2 DUE: Collaborative Project Proposals
Investigation:
Readings & Website Standards
WEEK FIVE: SYNERGY
M Feb. 7 Collaborative
Assignment: Research & Project Construction
T Feb. 8 Instructor’s Signature Required to Drop
Courses;
‘W’
Appears on Transcripts
W Feb. 9 Collaboration
Assignment: Research & Project Construction
WEEK SIX: COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: RESULTS AND REACTIONS
(click to see projects)
M Feb. 14 DUE: Collaborative Projects Posted
Presentation,
Discussion, and (Cross-Class) Evaluation
W Feb. 16 Presentation,
Discussion, and (Cross-Class) Evaluation cont.
WEEK SEVEN: IF
THE SHOE FITS: CINDERELLA, A CASE
STUDY
M Feb. 21 Screening:
Cinderella
Disney
Archive Assigned and Discussed
W Feb. 23 Readings
from Course Pack
Investigation:
Cinderella & Readings
WEEK EIGHT: IF
THE BOOT FITS: PRETTY WOMAN AS FAIRY
TALE
M Feb. 28 Screening:
Pretty Woman
W March 1 Readings
from Course Pack
Investigation:
Pretty Woman, Cinderella, & Readings
WEEK NINE: MOUSEOLOGY,
OR DOING DISNEY RESEARCH
M March 6 Final
Research Project Assignment on MOOs/MUDs Discussed
Questions
and Strategies
W March 8 Collaborative
Strategies & Project Development
WEEK TEN: INTERMISSION
M March 13 No Class
W March 15 Spring Break
WEEK ELEVEN: DISNEY
ARCHIVE
M March 20 DUE:
Disney Archive
Investigation:
Construction of Archive
W March 22 DUE: Proposals for Final Research
Project
Disney
Archive cont.
WEEK TWELVE: CULTURAL STUDIES AND DISNEY
M March 27 DUE: Response to Readings
Readings: Disney/Cultural Manifestations
W March 29 Investigations:
Cultural Critics & Disney
WEEK THIRTEEN: DISNEY AS WORLD
M April 3 DUE: Reaction Paper to Readings/Responses
Investigations
and Readings...
W April 5 Based
on Disney Archives and Ongoing Research
WEEK FOURTEEN: THE WORLD AS DISNEY
M April 10 Investigations
and Readings...
W April 12 Based
on Disney Archives and Ongoing Research
WEEK FIFTEEN: VIRTUAL DISNEY
M April 17 DUE: Final Research Projects
Project
Presentations & (Cross-Class) Evaluations
W April 19 Project
Presentations & (Cross-Class) Evaluations
WEEK SIXTEEN THE (DE)CONSTRUCTION
OF DISNEY
M April 24 DUE: Final Project Revisions
Last Day of Classes
Course
Evaluations
T April 25 Last Day to Drop Courses; Multiple
Signatures Required
Syllabus Is Tentative And
Subject To Change!
Assignments in Brief
Collaborative Assignment
Snow White
50 points
Collaborative Project Proposal
50 points
Collaborative Project
150 points
Collaborative Project Evaluation (Cross-Class)
Disney Archive
50 points
Final Project Proposal
50 points
Disney/Cultural Manifestations (Readings)
50 points
Cultural Critics (Reactions)
50 points
Final Project
250 points
Final Project Evaluation (Cross-Class)
50 points
Investigations
200 points total