Roadside America: a First-Year Seminar |
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UST 05-014 | Fall 2024 |
Course Schedule and Resource Links:
Welcome Week:Aug 19 (Mon, 10-12): Introductions; "Roadside America Geography Challenge"
REVIEW/FINISH SUMMER READING: Albert and Sorin
Aug 20 (Tue, 9-12): Screen Gun Crazy (1950) plus Honor Code and Library Modules
READ: Brigham, "Introduction"
REVIEW/FINISH SUMMER READING: Albert and Sorin
Aug 21 (Wed) >>No Class<<
Aug 22 (Thu, 9-12): Screen Thelma & Louise (1991)
READ: Laderman, "What a Trip"; Graff & Birkenstein, "The Art of Quoting"
REVIEW/FINISH SUMMER READING: Albert and Sorin
Aug 23 (Fri, 10-12): Discuss Gun Crazy, Thelma & Louise, and all the readings so far
READ: Man, "Gender, Genre, and Myth in Thelma & Louise"
REVIEW/FINISH SUMMER READING: Albert and Sorin
DUE: Individual Project #1: Critical Connections Analysis of Gun Crazy, Thelma & Louise, and all the readings so far (Albert, Brigham, Laderman, Man, and Sorin)
[printed submission, with Honor Code written out and signed--due at beginning of class]
[After Welcome Week, unless otherwise indicated in the Syllabus Schedule, we'll meet from 10:00-11:15 Tuesdays and Thursdays in our regular classroom, SLC 115]
Week One
Aug 27 (Tue): Review Orientation Week; Discuss Georgetown Road Stories Project; Module: Learning Commons
READ: Dietz, "Hip To Be Square"
NOTE: Bring your laptop and meet in Library Learning Commons
Aug 29 (Thu): Discuss American Road Nonfiction Narratives
READ: Steinbeck, excerpt from Travels With Charley; Smith, "Through the Windshield"; Dembling, "The Bus Stops Here"; Gough, "Travels With Chester"
DUE: Individual Project #2: Critical Connections Analysis of American Road Nonfiction[printed submission, with Honor Code written out and signed--due at beginning of class]
Week Two
Sep 3 (Tue): Discussion: Gender, sexuality, and automobility
READ: Lezotte, "Born to Take the Highway"; and Lezotte, "Out on the Highway"
EXPLORE: Roadside America Library Guide
Sep 5 (Thu): Presentations of Collaborative Project #1: Georgetown Road Stories
Week Three
Sep 10 (Tue): Module: Academic Success; Discussion: Cars as public/private space
READ: Bloch, "Policing Car Space"
NOTE: At some point before 11:59pm today (Sep 10), fill out the TypeFocus personality inventory to prepare for Thursday's module
Sep 12 (Thu): Module: Exploring Majors and Careers; Discussion: Memory and Automobility
READ: Cann, "Moving the Dead"
COMPLETE: TypeFocus Self-Assessment Context Questionnaire
Week Four
Sep 17 (Tue): Screen Driving While Black (2020)
DUE: Individual Project #3: Critical Connections Analysis of Automobility Scholarship
[printed submission, with Honor Code written out and signed--due at beginning of class]Sep 19 (Thu): Screen and Discuss Driving While Black (2020)
Week Five
Sep 24 (Tue): Library Research Module
DUE: Research Project ProposalSep 26 (Thu): Research Workshop
[electronic submission, by 9:00am]NOTE: Bring your Laptop and Meet in Library Lobby
Week Six
Oct 1 (Tue): Module: Diversity/Social Justice; Research Workshop
Oct 3 (Thu): Module: Integrative Learning; Informal Research Project Presentations
DUE: Research Project Draft
[electronic submission, by 9:00am]
Week Seven
Oct 8 (Tue): Writing Critique Workshop for Work Group 1
DUE (WorkGroup 1 only): Your critiques of Research Project Drafts from WorkGroup 1
NOTE: Only WorkGroup 1 attends class this day
Oct 10 (Thu): Writing Critique Workshop for Work Group 2
DUE (WorkGroup 2 only): Your critiques of Research Project Drafts from WorkGroup 1
NOTE: Only WorkGroup 2 attends class this day
Week Eight
Oct 15 (Tue): No class--Fall Break
Oct 17 (Thu): Discussion: Creative Nonfiction Road Narratives and Final Research Project Posters
DUE: Final Research Project
[electronic submission, by 9:00am]
Week Nine
Oct 22 (Tue): Writing Workshop
Oct 24 (Thu): Writing Workshop
DUE: Creative Nonfiction Road Narrative
[electronic submission, by noon]
Week Ten
Oct 29 (Tue): First Symposium: An exhibition of work in FYS/AES, 9:00-11:15am in Bishops Lounge
DUE: Poster and presentation outline
Oct 31 (Thu): Discussion: Our Roadside Americas; Course Evaluations
READ: Your classmates' Creative Nonfiction Road Narratives
DUE: Individual Project #4: Final Critical Connections
[electronic submission, by 9:00am]
Make an Appointment for Office Hours
Design, Photography, and Text © 2024 by Bob Bednar
Department of Communication Studies
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