What Our Semester Will Look Like

This schedule is tentative and can change.

Week 1 (Jan 08 – Jan 13)

Defining dystopia; Making knowledge public; Assignments and expectations

  1. Watch the “Class Welcome” video (8:15) and the “Course Tour” video (4:54). (SLO 5)
  2. Participate in the Class Introductions VoiceThread. (SLO 5)
  3. Participate in the Syllabus Questions & Comments discussion. (SLO 5)
  4. Complete the On Dystopia microlecture. (SLO 1)
  5. Watch the “Making Knowledge Public” video (4:35). (SLO 3, 4, 5)
  6. Set up your Hypothesis and WordPress accounts. (SLO 4, 5)
  7. Read Sections I through VI (Chapters 1-17) in The Handmaid’s Tale. (SLO 1)
  8. Complete this week’s Private Learning Journal entry. (SLO 5)

Week 2 (Jan 15 – Jan 20)

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY, 1/15

Understanding oppression; Podcast assignment details

  1. Participate in the King and Utopia Weekly Warmup. (SLO 2, 3, 4, 5)
  2. Watch the microlecture “Iris Young & the Face of Oppression” (SLO 3)
  3. Read & annotate “Five Faces of Oppression” (SLO 1, 3)
  4. Complete the Newspaper Database Activity. (SLO 1, 5)
  5. Watch the Research Project Introduction video (SLO 4, 5)
  6. Write Blog Post #1: How do you define dystopia? (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4)
  7. Read Sections 7 through 11 (Chapters 18-30) in The Handmaid’s Tale. (SLO 1)
  8. Complete this week’s Private Learning Journal entry. (SLO 5)

Week 3 (Jan 22 – Jan 27)

Civilization v. humanity; Online presence

  1. Participate in the Humanity & Oppression Weekly Warmup. (SLO 2, 3, 4, 5)
  2. Watch the video “Micro-lecture: Freud & Civilization” (SLO 3)
  3. Read & annotate “Civilization & Its Discontents” (SLO 1, 3)
  4. Research Panel Activity (SLO 1, 2, 3, 5)
  5. Watch the Online Presence, Online Privacy video (SLO 3, 4, 5)
  6. Read Chapters 12 to 15 and the “Historical Notes” in The Handmaid’s Tale. (SLO 1)
  7. Learning Journal Entry (SLO 5)

Week 4 (Jan 29 – Feb 03)

Utopia v. dystopia; Novel discussions; Working as a group

  1. Participate in the Favorite Podcasts Weekly Warmup. (SLO 2, 3, 4, 5)
  2. Watch the video “Micro-lecture: On Utopia” (SLO 1)
  3. Vote on Student Choice Movie #1 (SLO 4, 5)
  4. Participate in Novel Discussion: The Handmaid’s Tale: The World of Gilead (SLO 1, 2, 3)
  5. Participate in Novel Discussion: The Handmaid’s Tale: Control in Gilead (SLO 1, 2, 3)
  6. Watch the Research Project Tech & Tools video (SLO 4, 5)
  7. Research Project Proposals (SLO 4, 5)
  8. Write Blog Post #2: Describe your personal utopia. (SLO 1, 2, 3)
  9. Learning Journal Entry (SLO 5)

Week 5 (Feb 05 – Feb 10)

Fascism and Ur-fascism; Novel discussions; Technology tools

  1. Participate in the Political Compass Test Weekly Warmup. (SLO 2, 3, 4, 5)
  2. Watch the video “Micro-lecture: Eco & Fascism” (SLO 3)
  3. Read & annotate “Ur-Fascism” (SLO 1, 3)
  4. Participate in the Novel Discussion: The Handmaid’s Tale: Past, Present, and Future (SLO 1, 2, 3, 5)
  5. Participate in the Novel Discussion: The Handmaid’s Tale: Final Thoughts (SLO 1, 2, 3, 5)
  6. Watch Student Choice Movie #1 (SLO 1)
  7. Learning Journal Entry (SLO 5)

Week 6 (Feb 12 – Feb 17)

MARDI GRAS BREAK, 2/12-2/14

Government; Order v. chaos; Audio tools; Movie watching

  1. Watch the video “Micro-lecture: Hobbes’s Leviathan” (SLO 3)
  2. Read & annotate “Leviathan, Chapter XIII” (SLO 1, 3)
  3. Hobbesian Jungle Activity (SLO 1, 2, 3, 5)
  4. Write Blog Post #3: What form of government should we choose? (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4)
  5. Work on your Research Project (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Week 7 (Feb 19 – Feb 24)

Wealth inequality; Movie discussions

  1. Participate in the Working Class Hero Weekly Warmup. (SLO 2, 3, 4, 5)
  2. Vote on Student Choice Movie #2 (SLO 4, 5)
  3. Participate in class discussion of [Movie #1] via Voice Threads (SLO 1, 2, 3, 5)
  4. Confirm your research project topic and format (SLO 4, 5)
  5. Read Chapters 1 to 3 of Brown Girl in the Ring (SLO 1)
  6. Work on your Research Project (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
  7. Learning Journal Entry (SLO 5)

Week 8 (Feb 26 – Mar 02)

Self-assessment; Defining dystopia

  1. Participate in the Midterm Check-in Weekly Warmup. (SLO 2, 3, 4, 5)
  2. Submit Midterm Essay (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4)
  3. Complete Learning Self-Assessment #1 (SLO 5)
  4. Read Chapters 4 to 5 of Brown Girl in the Ring (SLO 1)
  5. Work on Research Project (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Week 9 (Mar 04 – Mar 09)

MIDTERM GRADES DUE 3/08

Power and privilege; Intellectual property

  1. Dystopian Movie Bingo. Respond to at least three other posts. (SLO 2, 3, 4, 5)
  2. Watch the video “Micro-lecture: Edward Snowden” (SLO 1)
  3. Erasing Contemporary Problems Activity (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
  4. Watch the Intellectual Property Introduction Videos (SLO 4)
  5. Write Blog Post #4: How much privacy are you willing to give up? (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4)
  6. Read Chapters 6 to 9 of Brown Girl in the Ring (SLO 1)
  7. Work on you Research Project (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
  8. Learning Journal Entry (SLO 5)

Week 10 (Mar 11 – Mar 16)

Novel discussions; Creative commons; Sources and citations

  1. Participate in the Research Project Check-in Weekly Warmup. (SLO 2, 3, 4, 5)
  2. Watch the Microlecture: On Climate Fiction (SLO)
  3. Watch the Creative Commons video (SLO 4, 5)
  4. Read Chapters 10 to 14 of Brown Girl in the Ring (SLO 1)
  5. Work on your Research Project (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
  6. Learning Journal Entry (SLO 5)

Week 11 (Mar 18 – Mar 23)

Novel discussions; Movie watching

  1. Participate in the Somebody’s Watching Me Weekly Warmup. (SLO 2, 3, 4, 5)
  2. Watch the video “Micro-lecture: Foucault & Panopticism” (SLO 3)
  3. Read & annotate Foucault’s “Panopticism” (SLO 1, 4)
  4. Participate in the Novel Discussion: Brown Girl in the Ring: Ti-Jeanne’s World (SLO 1, 2, 3)
  5. Write Blog Post #5: Is Foucault right? (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4)
  6. Work on your Research Project (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
  7. Learning Journal Entry (SLO 5)

SPRING BREAK, MARCH 25 – MARCH 29

Week 12 (Apr 01 – Apr 06)

FALL REGISTRATION, 4/01-4/05

Past, present, and future; Movie discussions

  1. Participate in the Dystopia & the Past Weekly Warmup. (SLO 2, 3, 4, 5)
  2. Watch the video “Micro-lecture: Robinson & Dystopias” (SLO 3)
  3. Read & annotate “Dystopias Now” (SLO 1, 3)
  4. Participate in the Novel Discussion: Brown Girl in the Ring: Labels & Identities (SLO 1, 2, 3)
  5. Write Blog Post #6: What kind of thinker are you? (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4)
  6. Work on your Research Project (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
  7. Learning Journal Entry (SLO 5)

Week 13 (Apr 08 – Apr 13)

Research projects

  1. Participate in the Research Project Reflection Weekly Warmup. (SLO 2, 3, 4, 5)
  2. Watch Student Choice Movie #2 (SLO 1)
  3. Submit your Research Project (SLO 4, 5)

Week 14 (Apr 15 – Apr 20)

Research project critiques; Defining dystopia

  1. Participate in the Dystopia & the Future Weekly Warmup. (SLO 2, 3, 4, 5)
  2. Complete the Microlecture: Dystopia, Redux” (SLO 4)
  3. Participate in the Movie Discussion: Student Choice Movie #2 (SLO 1, 2, 3, 5)
  4. Write Blog Post #7: How do you define dystopia, redux? (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4)
  5. Learning Journal Entry (SLO 5)

Week 15 (Apr 22 – Apr 27)

Defining dystopia

  1. Complete the Course Evaluation (SLO 5)
  2. Research Project Critiques Activity (SLO 2, 3, 4)
  3. Submit Final Essay (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4)
  4. Complete Learning Self-Assessment #2 (SLO 5)

Comments are closed.