Course Schedule

Class Content Homework (to be read/written on date listed)
Week 1 January 4-8

Introduction + syllabus

Close reading

Lecture #1: The Humanities Crisis: What It Is and Why We’re Studying It

Aristotle’s Ethos, Pathos, Logos

Alligator River Story

Quick Harmless-Taboo Scenarios + discussion about how people think morally and politically

“Teaching the humanities: vital to society?” by Nussbaum (on-line)

“Lost in the Meritocracy” by Walter Kirn (CP)

“The Real Humanities Crisis Is Happening at Public Universities” by Hunter and Mohammed (on-line)

Week 2 January 11-15

Lecture #2: Millenials: What “They Say about “You”

Discussion of Nussbaum, Hunter and Mohammed, Kirn

Argument: Claims, Warrants, Support

Start researching for your letter. Read widely about one of three topics:

1. Corporatization of the Canadian University 2. The Construction of the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline

3. The Politics of Water in Canada

4. Canada’s Response to the Syrian Refugee Crisis or 5. A topic of your choice

Week 3 January 18-22

Inductive and Deductive Reasoning

Fallacies

How to structure an argument

Letter preparation

How to integrate research

“Universities Head for Extinction” by J.M. Coetzee (on-line)

“Don’t Send Your Kids to the Ivy League” by Deresiewicz (on-line)

“The Coddled Kids Are Alright” by John K. Wilson (on-line)

Week 4 January 25-29

Monday, January 25th: class cancelled

Argument Test for ENGL 112 11N and 14M: January 26

ENGL 112 04N: January 27

Lecture #3: Critical Thought and the Good Life

The University as Research Community

Argument Test (outline, references, etc)

Read Academic Writing Chapter 1

Laurel-Johnson Black, “Stupid Rich Bastards”

Bartholomae, “Inventing the University

Week 5 February 1-5

Feature #1: The Representation of the Research Process

Discuss Bartholomae + LJB

Feature #2: Multiple Levels of Generality

Summary: Levels of language and mapping

Discuss Davison + Price

Read Academic Writing Chapter 1 (CP)

Academic Writing Chapter 2: Summary and Citation

“How do We Rate?” by Davison and Price

Homework: stress, RVers and Creoles

Week 6 February 8-12

Take up: stress, RVers and Creoles

Note-taking and Framing

Feature #3: Topic Identification and Restatement; Feature #4: Framing, summary, citation, documentation

Summary Test

ENGL 112 04N: Feb. 12

ENGL 112 11N and 14M: Feb 11

Summary work in class

Homework: Annotate Davison and Price for the elements of the research process.

SUMMARY TEST

Week 7 February 15-19

Winter break

Singelton-Jackson et al. “Students as Consumers: Are they Buying what We’re Selling?”

Week 8 February 22-26

Feature #5: Critical Stance and the Knowledge Gap

Bring a movie review to class.

Annotate and discuss Davison and Price + Greenberger for elements plus critical stance.

Begin critical summary.

Introduce parameters for the research proposal.

Introduction to research skills using UBC’s library system.

Methods for Conducting Research

Proposals: Student Examples

UBC library tutorial

Greenberger et al. “Self-Entitled College Students”

Bring a SHORT Georgia Straight or Globe and Mail movie review to class along with Davison and Price. We are using these texts in a compare/contrast exercise

Week 9 February 29-March 4

How to draft a critical summary of Davison and Price, Greenberger et al., Singleton-Jackson

Feature #6: Agency

Feature #7 Definition

We will look at various examples of how definition is used in scholarship.

Feature #8 Modals

Discussion of articles.

Thoreau, “Civil Disobedience”

Research Project: Introduction, Research Objective

Week 10 March 7-11

Trouble shooting

Student examples

Lecture #4: Changing Notions of Civic Engagement; Students in Social Movements

Ludlow, “The Banality of Systemic Evil” (on-line)

Goodman, “Data and Goliath: Bruce Schneier on the Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World” (on-line)

Research Project: Critical Summary

Week 11 March 14-18

Lecture #5: Students, Activism, Entitlement, Social Media and Surveillance

Research Lab

Hustinx et al, “Monitorial Citizens or Civic Omnivores? Repertories of Civic Participation Among University Students”

Research Project: Discussion

Week 12 March 21-25

Research Lab

Research Project: Conclusion

RESEARCH PAPERS DUE

Week 13 March 28- April 1

Research Short Talks @ 15 minutes maximum.

*Be sure to bring your Short Talk Rubric to class so that your presentation can be evaluated.

Week 14 April 4- April 8

Research Short Talks @ 15 minutes maximum.

Exam Review