American Studies 200 Fall 2007                                                                              Office: R 230 & A 245

Daily 9:30- 10:20                                                                                                        Office hours: by appointment

Melissa Phelps-Palma, Professor                                                                                                                   

Email:  mphelps@bcc.ctc.edu                                                                      

 

Welcome to American Studies, Latino Culture in the United States.  This quarter we will look at the cross-cultural influences of American and Hispanic societies using film and essays. 

 

At the end of this course, if you complete your assignments and participate in class, you should expect

·         to understand more deeply your own cultural heritage

·         to convey this understanding in spoken and written form

·         to recognize the similarities and differences between your culture and the variety of Spanish-speaking cultures we explored

·         to appreciate the social, political and cultural norms we investigated

·         to describe in oral and written forms your personal responses to the stories we read and saw

·         to understand Hispanic geography more deeply

·         to question stereotypes where ever you encounter them.

 

Classroom Standards:  

  • Please turn off music listening devices, pagers and cell phones during class.
  • You may bring drinks or food into class but you must dispose properly of the trash.
  • The following are disruptive behaviors which will negatively affect your grade and may even get you kicked out of class if they become a habit

                        arriving late

                        yawning loudly and/or sleeping

                        constant chatting with classmates

                        interrupting or mocking a fellow classmate during group discussion

                        studying for another class

                        forgetting to turn off cell phones, etc.

 

Course Materials: 

 

The following excerpted readings are available “On Reserve” in the BCC library from these books.

 

·         The Latino Reader (1997) Augenbraum, Harold and Fernández Olmos, Margarite, Editors.  Mariner Books.

·         The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Latino History and Culture (2002). Figueredo, D.H. Alpha.

·         Latino Images in Film (2002) Ramírez Berg, Charles. University of Texas Press.

·         Heroes, Lovers and Others, The Story of Latinos in Hollywood (2004) Rodríguez, Clara E. Smithsonian Books.

·         Desire Unlimited, The Cinema of Pedro Almodóvar 2nd Edition (2000) Smith, Paul Julian. Verso.

 

The following materials are available in the BCC Library Media Center 425-564-2253 http://ir.bcc.ctc.edu/library

·         The films we will see in class.

·         Other films in the BCC film collection.

 

Some materials will be available at our class MyBCC site, so check it regularly.

                                          


Web sites

This list is extremely short.  You may add to it as the quarter progresses.

Cinema Sites:  http://www.cinema-sites.com  Listing of links to hundreds of cinema sites.

 

Internet Movie Database:  http://www.imdb.com  Information on film industry, movie credits, 

                                                                              plot summaries and move reviews.

 

Film Commentary: http://www.filmlinc.com/fcm/fmc.htm  Critical essays and reviews of current

                                                                                         films, film festivals, and DVD releases.

 

Cinema Scope: http://www.cinema-scope.com/  Critical essays on international cinema.

 

    

 

 

Evaluation: 

 

For a detailed guide to policies and expectations, please read the Arts and Humanities Division Handbook at http://www.bcc.ctc.edu/ArtsHum/studentinfo.html

 

 

Attendance:  15%

Participation:  15%

·         Attendance and active participation in class are essential to your success.  You will receive points for each day you attend.  You must be present on film days since many of the films we see may not be available otherwise.

·         You will engage in group discussion for which you must prepare. 

·         If you miss 20% or more of the class days (that’s 10 days), you may fail the class.  At the very least, your final grade for the course will be lowered by one letter grade.

·         If you arrive tardy 20% of the time, that’s a total of 10 tardies, your final grade will be lowered by one third of a letter.  (A grade of B becomes a B-) 

·         In case of illness or emergency, please inform me --in advance of the class you will miss-- by email.   If you miss class, you are responsible for obtaining any missed information from a classmate.

 

Journals:  20%

 

·         This grade is based on 5 completed Journal assignments.

·         Journal Entries must be at least one full page typed, double-spaced.  Use 12 point font and standard margins. 

·         When you turn them in indicate by writing, “Don’t Read” at the top if you would like to keep your entry completely private from the class. 

·         I will be reading selections from journal entries in class to promote discussion, and the writer’s identity will always remain anonymous. 

·          

Quizzes:  10%

·         There will be periodic quizzes on the readings and films to check that you are keeping up with and understanding the assigned work.

 

Movie Write up 10%

·         You will choose one movie outside of the ones we see in class to write about according to guidelines I provide.  You must consult with me to choose a movie.

 

Exams:  30% 

 

 

·         There is one mid-term exam and one final exam.

·         Exams can, on occasion, be taken in advance, but they cannot be made up after an absence. 

 

 

Grading Scale -- based on percentage and conforming with BCC policy

A 100-95,  A- 94-90,  B+ 89-86,  B 85-83,  B- 82-80,  C+ 79-75,  C 74-70,  C- 69 -60,  D+ 59-55,  D 54-50,  F 49 or below.

 

Syllabus and Calendar Modification:  

Occasionally, I may need to change the syllabus or calendar.  Such changes could include, but are not limited to, the dates of tests, reading and film assignments, etc.  I will announce changes in class.  Students who are absent when changes are announced are responsible for obtaining this information. 

 

Extra Credit:

Worth up to 20 points total and applied to your journal or quiz grades, it involves watching a movie in Spanish or listening to a radio program and answering some questions in writing.  All extra credit assignments are due on the last day of classes BEFORE the start of final exams – NOT during finals week.

 

Academic Dishonesty:  Stealing, cheating and plagiarizing will not be tolerated.  A student caught engaging in such activity will receive 0 points for the assignment in question and will be reported, without exception, to the Dean of Student Services.

 

BCC Disability Statement:

 

If you have medical information to share with me in the event of an emergency, please contact me via email or come to see me during office hours.  If you need course modifications / adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, I will refer you to our Disability Resource Center (DRC), or you may contact them directly by going to B132 or by calling 425.564.2498 or TTY 425.564.4110. Information is also available on their website at http://bellevuecollege.edu/drc/

 

Drop Procedure:

Don’t give up too soon, but if you decide to get out, you must withdraw officially with the Registration Office by the date set by the college.  If you simply stop coming, you will receive an F for the class which will really mess up your GPA.