BIS 490D (LN 11197)

Senior Seminar:

The American West

David S. Goldstein, Ph.D.

Winter 2007

Tuesdays/Thursdays 5:45 p.m.-7:50 p.m., Rm. UW1-060

Office: UW1-137

Office hours: Tuesdays 1:15-2:15 p.m.,
Thursdays 4:30-5:30 p.m.,
 and by appointment,
from Jan. 4 through March 8

Click here <https://catalysttools.washington.edu/tools/umail/form/?i=124&o=davidgs>
to contact instructor with or without identifying yourself. (My e-mail address is provided in class. No telephone calls, please.)

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To the American Indians who lived there before Europeans arrived, to the peoples of every continent who have settled there during the last three centuries, to the world that knows its mythology through its representation in popular culture, the American West is a profoundly complex and fascinating place (or set of places). Taking an American studies approach, integrating history, literature, geography, and cultural studies, we will cooperatively develop a robust understanding of this rich site. In this senior seminar, which is recommended especially for American Studies and Culture, Literature, and the Arts students but is open to any IAS senior, our guiding questions are: What is the American West and what are its past, present and future meanings?

As a seminar, this course will rely heavily on well-prepared students exchanging ideas in small-group and full-class discussions. Coursework in history, literature, or both would be helpful preparation for this course. Experience with academic research techniques, such as are taught in BIS 300 and in most concentration core courses, is strongly recommended.

Course text (available in the UWB Bookstore [save your receipts for a patronage refund] and in library reserve/reference). Note: Click here <http://tinyurl.com/6pamk > and click on the "UW Bothell" link to order books online. Enter the course line number (shown at the top of this page) for "UW SLN Code" (leave other spaces blank) and hit 'enter.' All items have been ordered; contact the bookstore if some materials are not listed.

Milner, Clyde A. II, Anne M. Butler, and David Rich Lewis, eds.  Major Problems in the History of the American West, 2nd ed.  Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997. (ISBN 0669415804)
 
You also will read one novel of your choice, subject to my approval.

Grading: Your grade will be based on these assignments, which are described on separate pages online (links will be activated when ready):

Senior seminar portfolio (due at 5:45 on Jan. 16) 

ungraded*

Novel review  (due at 5:35 p.m. on Feb. 8)

5%

Research paper (2500-3000 words, due online by 5:35 p.m. on Feb. 15; final version due online by 5:35 p.m. on March 1 in learning portfolio)

40%

Research presentation (5 min., in class on Feb. 27)

5%

Learning portfolio (due online by 5:35 p.m. on March 1)

10%

Contribution

40%

TOTAL

100%


*The senior seminar portfolio is due on Thursday, Jan. 16.  Students who do not submit a satisfactory senior seminar portfolio by 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 18, will receive a grade one quarter grade point below what they otherwise would have earned for the course, and students who do not submit a satisfactory senior seminar portfolio by 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday, March 6, will receive a grade one half grade point below what they otherwise would have earned for the course.  Please note that the senior seminar portfolio is separate from the learning portfolio.

Nota bene: Students must earn a 2.5 or higher in this course in order to meet the Senior Seminar requirement, although anything higher than 0.7 is a passing grade and will earn non-specific academic credit. See <http://www.uwb.edu/IAS/undergrad/gradreqs.xhtml> for details.

For other important information regarding grades, see <http://faculty.washington.edu/davidgs/Grades.html>.

Schedule (readings listed by author; names in bold refer to the required textbook listed above; author names followed by an asterisk are listed below under "Reserves List"):

DATE
READING/ASSIGNMENTS DUE
by beginning of class
IN-CLASS WORK

Th 01/04

Introduction

Tu 01/09

Milner et al., ch. 1

Novel review assignment introduced; discuss Milner et al., ch. 1

Th 01/11

Work on senior seminar portfolio

NO CLASS MEETING (snow day)

Tu 01/16

View  Stagecoach (97 min., on reserve at Campus Media Center [BOT-0071] or rented on your own); senior seminar portfolio due in class at 5:45 p.m. sharp

MEET IN LB1-220; introduce research paper assignment; library research session

Th 01/18

Milner et al., ch. 6-7; research question due by e-mail to me no later than 5:35 p.m.

Senior seminar portfolio focus groups; discuss Milner et al., ch. 6-7

Tu 01/23

View  High Noon (95 min., on reserve at Campus Media Center [BOT-0326] or rented on your own)

NO CLASS MEETING; independent research time

Th 01/25

Goldstein-Shirley; Milner et al., ch. 12

Discuss Goldstein-Shirley; Milner et al., ch. 12

Tu 01/30

View Chinatown (130 min., on reserve at Campus Media Center [BOT-0055] or rented on your own); annotated bibliography due by e-mail to me no later than 5:35 p.m.

Discuss Chinatown; view and discuss The Plow that Broke the Plains

Th 02/01

Milner et al., ch. 13

MEET AT MOHAI (field trip)

Tu 02/06

Work on novel review

NO CLASS MEETING; online discussion of research paper progress on Blackboard

Th 02/08

View The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (176 min., on reserve at Campus Media Center [BOT-0308] or rented on your own); novel review due online in Blackboard by 5:35 p.m.

Optional research paper conference with instructor and librarian

Tu 02/13

Milner et al., ch. 15

Discuss Milner et al., ch. 15

Th 02/15

View Unforgiven (127 min., on reserve at Campus Media Center [BOT-0312] or rented on your own) ; research paper due online no later than 5:35 p.m.

Discuss Stagecoach, High Noon, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and Unforgiven

Tu 02/20

Seattle Underground Tour , 3:00-4:30 p.m.; Klondike Gold Rush Museum before or after Underground tour

NO CLASS MEETING; comment on field trip on Blackboard

Th 02/22

"Western Music (North America)" (including all sound files)

NO CLASS MEETING; work on research presentation

Tu 02/27

Practice research presentation

Research presentations

Th 03/01

Learning portfolio due

View and discuss Cat Ballou

Tu 03/06

Watson Conclusion: The future of the American West
Th 03/08 Reflect on learning Optional team-building exercise

*Reserves list (in "Course Documents" area of Blackboard except as noted):

This schedule is subject to change. The most current schedule will always be posted here <http://faculty.washington.edu/davidgs/BIS490DSyl.html> for your reference, and changes will be announced in class, by e-mail, or both. This course has no final examination. Instead, final evaluation will be based principally on a learning portfolio.


About course policies:

Please carefully read the "Course Policies" at <http://faculty.washington.edu/davidgs/Policies.html>, which I consider to be part of this syllabus.


About class communication:

Please carefully read the "Class Communication" document at <http://faculty.washington.edu/davidgs/Communication.html>, which I consider to be part of this syllabus.


About contribution:

Please carefully read the "Class Contribution" document at <http://faculty.washington.edu/davidgs/Partic.html>, which I consider to be part of this syllabus.


Welcome to the course!

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This page last updated February 1, 2007.

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