Fall 2008 AMERICAN UNIVERSITY 4 5 0-0 0 1 S P A N I S H C I V I L I Z A T I O N I : S P A I N Wednesdays 2:10 4:50 pm Location: TBA Instructor : Prof. Esther Ibáñez-Holtermann Office: Asbury 232a Phone Number: 202-885-2390 E-mail: eholter@american.edu Office hours: Wed, Thu 9-11 am Mo 2:15-4:15 Course description: This course is designed to introduce the student to Spanish culture and civilization from pre-roman times to present, focusing on history, geography, art, literature and other cultural manifestations. This class is an interdisciplinary study of the country s diverse society, distinct regions and groups. The course seeks to develop a general knowledge of the past through a historical perspective, and analysis of current events, politics and customs to better comprehend contemporary modern Spain and its cultural and national. It is conducted entirely in Spanish. Required material: Pereira-Muro, Carmen: CULTURAS DE ESPAÑA. 2003. Houghton Mifflin Company. New York. Grading: Attendance and participation in class 25 % Homework 10 % Study-checks 5 % Presentation of article 5 % Topic presentation 10 % Portfolio and research paper 15 % Midterm exam 10 % Final exam 20 % Grade scale A = 93-100 A- = 90-92 B+ = 88-89 B = 83-87 B- = 80-82 C+ = 78-79 C = 73-77 C- = 70 72 D = 60-69 F = 59 and below 1
Top grades (A, A-, B+) are awarded to students who do superior work, have no unexcused absences, participate enthusiastically in class discussions (asking questions, making suggestions, giving ideas...), and show a command of the course material in their oral presentations, compositions and exams. These students complete all assignments on time. Middle grades (B, B-, C+, C) are received by students who do well but have deficiencies in attendance, class participation and performance on the oral or written assignments. In an effort to study the ways of improving their grades, they are encouraged to see me in my office hours. Low grades (C-, D, F) indicate serious problems. Students who get these grades do not turn in assigned work or turn it late. The quality of their work is poor (presentation and content). They have unexcused absences, do not participate in class or do not get involved in discussions. Students who receive such grades should come and see me immediately so that I can help them. A) Participation (25%) is the key ingredient of this course. Class attendance is mandatory. Be punctual! You are expected to arrive on time and attend every class. Repeated late arrivals are not acceptable. If classes are missed for valid reasons, you must bring written justification. I expect regular attendance. In case of an absence, please keep me informed. Each absence over 2 will result in a reduction of your participation grade, e.g. if your participation grade is A, a 3 rd absence will drop it to a B; a 4 th absence to a C; a 5 th absence to a D, and a 6 th absence or more will result in a 0 for participation. You are responsible for making up all the work you miss. An unreasonable number of absences (especially if unexplained) will inevitably affect your participation grade. You are expected to arrive on time and attend every class. This is a three-credit class that meets once per week. Class Participation. This grade will be based on how much and how well you participate in class by making comments, asking and answering questions, and joining in the class dialogue. Attendance will affect this grade, since if you are not present you obviously cannot participate. Students are expected to maintain a complete and organized Spanish notebook, to always bring their notebook and required texts to class and to come prepared to every class (with all assignments completed). To receive a good participation grade, students must participate actively in all class activities, volunteer answers, ask questions, speak Spanish in class, always be on task and help other classmates when possible. Your instructor may add additional criteria for your participation grade. If you are an AU student athlete or otherwise involved in a school-sanctioned activity, you must submit the AU official documentation to your instructor at the beginning of the semester and give at least one week s prior written notice of events that you will be participating in. If you are intending to miss class for a religious commitment, you must notify your instructor at the beginning of the semester. To see the official calendar of religious holidays visit http://www.american.edu/academics/provost/communications/holydays.htm B) Homework (10%) Homework will be reviewed in class and collected at your instructor s discretion. Homework should always be dated, typed and double-spaced. C)Study-checks (5%) 2
Study-checks: At his/her discretion, your instructor will also give short announced and unannounced study-checks throughout the semester.there ARE NO MAKE-UPS FOR IN-CLASS STUDY-CHECKS. D) Article presentation oral-(5%). Over the course of the semester you will have to do an oral presentation (10 minutes) on a topic related to the news of the day (or previous day) as told in newspapers of the Spanish-speaking world. There will be websites to consult posted in Blackboard. You should make sure to speak for the required 10 mins. Please DO NOT read your presentation, as the point of the exercise is to display your fluency and knowledge of the topic You are free to bring handouts or use technology for your class presentation, but bear in mind that you still have to speak for the required minutes. Please do not make your presentation participatory for your classmates, as you are responsible for being the sole speaker. Work will be graded for clarity, presentation, content and accuracy. Article should be submitted to instructor in advance. Failure to come to class on the day of your presentation will result in a zero grade. Absolutely no make-ups will be given. E) Topic Presentation (PowerPoint) (10 %) Power Point Presentation: each student will give a 15 minute scheduled presentation using Power Point software on a topic selected from a list. You may refer to the slides or note cards, but DO NOT READ THE PRESENTATION! THERE WILL BE NO MAKE UPS FOR THIS PRESENTATION. This oral presention is worth 10% of your final grade. An outline of the presentation and a set of study questions for your classmates will be due 1 week before the scheduled presentation. A 1-3-page report accompanying your presentation will be due the day of the presentation. F) Portfolio and research paper (15%) A 5-page research paper on a current topic (such as Spain in the EU, terrorism, church and state, women, immigration, Spain-US relations, Spain Latin America, diversity, politics) affecting Spanish society will be due at the end of the semester (10%). Throughout the semester compile information covered in your research paper (5%) in a portfolio. Include articles, TV news, etc. in form of a diary in your portfolio.. G) Midterm exam (10%). (Note that it is not worth much, but it may be used as a diagnostic for the student s level in the class). H) Final exam (20%). The final exam is cumulative. No make-ups will be given. I.) Use of Blackboard.com We will use the Blackboard system to post questions, comments and suggestions and do different activities. Participation in the net counts as class participation. When a Blackboard activity is set up, students are required to participate before 5 pm the night before the class J) L a n g u a g e R e s o u r c e C e n t e r ( L R C ) This is the University s foreign language laboratory located in the basement of Asbury Hall North. Free individual tutoring services in all the languages taught at AU are available in this lab. For information, call 202-885-2396 or visit http://www.american.edu/lfs/lrc/ 3
K ) O P T I O N A L : C o m m u n i t y S e r v i c e L e a r n i n g P r o j e c t. You have the optional opportunity of doing a Community Service Project (LFS-294) in connection with this course. This would earn you one credit, Pass / Fail, for a total of 40 hours of approved field work over the semester in the local Hispanic community. A written journal is due Wednesday, DECEMBER 3 rd, 2008. For more info: www.american.edu/ocl/volunteer/si/csip/csipcontract.html L) A c a d e m i c I n t e g r i t y : All violations of the Academic Integrity and Student Conduct Codes will be treated seriously and in accordance to the university s Academic Regulations. M) Problems Students with concerns or comments should first speak with his or her instructor, who will do everything that s/he can to address all concerns, questions, comments, and suggestions presented by students. You may also e-mail or phone your instructor to schedule a private meeting during his or her office hours. N) Continued enrollment in this course means that you have read, understand and agree to the terms of the syllabus, course expectations and policies, and the university s Academic Integrity and Student Conduct Codes. A c a d e m i c a n d D i s a b i l i t y S u p p o r t S e r v i c e s If you experience difficulty in this course for any reason, please don't hesitate to consult with me. In addition to the resources of the department, a wide range of services is available to support you in your efforts to meet the course requirements. Academic Support Center (x3360, MGC 201) offers study skills workshops, individual instruction, tutor referrals, and services for students with learning disabilities. Counseling Center (x3360, MGC 201) offers counseling and consultations regarding personal concerns, selfhelp information, and connections to off-campus mental health resources. Disability Support Services (x3315, MGC 120) offers technical and practical support and assistance with accommodations for students with physical or psychological disabilities. If you have a disability and might require accommodations in this course, please notify me with a letter from DSS or LS early in the semester so that we can make arrangements to address your needs. Please do not hesitate to speak to me should you have any problems, comments or questions about the course. Be proactive; do not wait for a test to ask questions! 4
SEMANA DIA EN CLASE TAREA / PREPARACION 1 27 de agosto Introducción a la clase Libro de texto: p. 1-21 Tarea: p. 21: Repaso y Síntesis 2 3 de sept. Capítulo1: La formación de España: de la prehistoria a los visigodos Leer p. 25-42 Tarea 1: Repaso y Síntesis # 1, 4, 5, 6 Tarea 2: Más allá: # 2 : arte, arquitectura e ingeniería romana. Tarea 3: Entregar mapa de España 3 10 de sept Capítulo 2: La España medieval Leer 44-75 Tarea 1: Aprender de memoria 2 párrafos del Libro de Buen Amor: p. 76 Tarea 2: Repaso y Síntesis #2, 5, y 6 Tarea 3: en parejas: Más allá: # 3: El Camino de Santiago 4 17 de sept. Capítulo 3: Unidad de España y la formación de un imperio: Reyes Católicos y el descubrimiento de América Leer 78-98 Tarea 1: Repaso y Síntesis: #2, 4, 5 y 6 Tarea 2: Más allá # 1 o 2 5 24 de sept. Capítulo 4: El imperio español: Carlos I y Felipe II Leer 100-123 Tarea 1: Repaso y Síntesis: #2, 5,10, 11, 12, 15 y 16 Tarea 2: Más allá: # 1 o 10 6 1 de oct. Capítulo 5: Siglo de Oro XVII Leer 125-148 Tarea 1: Repaso y Síntesis: #3,7, 9,10,1,18,20 Tarea 2:# 4(inquisición) or # 2 (artista) 7 8 de oct. EXAMEN PARCIAL 8 15 de oct. Capítulo 6: El siglo XVIII conflictos entre modernidad y tradición Leer 151-173 Tarea 1: Repaso y Síntesis: # 2, 3, 10, 13, 15 Tarea 2: Más allá # 3 5
9 22 de oct. Capítulo 7: La construcción de una nación moderna Leer 176-199 Tarea 1:Repaso y Síntesis # 1,2,3,6,7,8 Tarea 2:Más allá # 2 o #4 10 29 de oct. Capítulo 8: Del siglo XX al siglo XXI España contemporánea Leer 203-231 Tarea 1:Repaso y Síntesis # 1,4,7,8,9,10,11,14,15. Tarea 2: Más allá # 4 o # 7 11 5 de nov Capítulo 9: Las autonomías y nacionalidades históricas Leer 233-266 Tarea 1:Repaso y Síntesis # 1,2,3, 12, 13 Tarea 2: Más allá # 1, 3 o 5 12 12 de nov Capítulo 10: La economía de la España contemporánea Leer 267-284 Tarea 1:Repaso y Síntesis # 2, 3, 5 Tarea 2: Más allá # 1 o 3 13 19 de nov Capítulo 11: La sociedad española contemporánea 14 26 de nov Día de Gracias Leer 285-308 Tarea 1:Repaso y Síntesis # 1, 2, 3, 5 Tarea 2: Más allá: # 2 o 5 Entregar: Investigación y portfolio No hay clase 15 3 de dic. Capítulo 12: La cultura contemporánea: de Almodóvar a Gaudi Leer 310-331 Tarea 1:Repaso y Síntesis # 2, 4 Tarea 2: Más allá Tarea 1:Repaso y Síntesis # # 1 o 6 16 15 de diciembre EXAMEN FINAL 6