Intro to Humanities Syllabus – Online
Summer 2017
Dr. Michelle Mueller
mmueller@peralta.edu
There may be changes to this syllabus. Last updated June 15.
This is an online class. If a student has not signed on to the Moodle classroom page by end of day (date TBD), instructor counts that as a no-show and drops the student from course. If you have trouble logging in to your Moodle account, please contact Moodle Login Help.
Required Textbooks – each of these is available at the BCC Bookstore or at Amazon. Use Amazon Smile and Amazon donates to a charity of your choice with every purchase.
- Ronald L. Grimes, Rite Out of Place: Ritual, Media, and the Arts (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006) $18.19 Kindle / $28.95 Paperback
- Luisah Teish, Carnival of the Spirit: Seasonal Celebrations and Rites of Passage (Apocryphile Press, 2014) $22.95 on Amazon
Course description: In this course, we will explore human rituals across cultures. Festivals, religious rites, rites of passage… What are common patterns of human experience? Do various cultures construct rituals according to shared patterns, or are their rituals entirely distinct? Most likely we will settle somewhere in between. Readings to include Ronald Grimes, Luisah Teish, and others. This course is a study in the humanities, with source material drawn primarily from religious studies, anthropology, and ritual studies.
SCHEDULE OF DEADLINES – Students are 100% responsible for meeting deadlines. Late work receives a zero.
Assignment | Deadline* | Contribution to total grade |
1st Assignment: “Brainteaser” on Moodle page | June 21 | 2% |
Week 1 Forum – Post Original Response to Instructor’s Question | June 23 | 4% |
Week 1 Forum – Respond to 2 Peers | June 27 | 4% |
Week 2 Forum A – Post Original Response to Instructor’s Question | June 27 | 4% |
Week 2 Forum A – Respond to 2 Peers | June 30 | 4% |
Week 2 Forum B – Post Original Response to Instructor’s Question | June 30 | 4% |
Week 2 Forum B – Respond to 2 Peers | July 5 | 4% |
Week 3 Forum A – Post Original Response to Instructor’s Question | July 5 | 4% |
Week 3 Forum A – Respond to 2 Peers | July 7 | 4% |
Week 3 Forum B – Post Original Response to Instructor’s Question | July 7 | 4% |
Week 3 Forum B – Respond to 2 Peers | July 11 | 4% |
Email Test Activity | July 11 | 2% |
Exercise: Prepare for final assignment | July 11 | 1% |
Week 4 Forum A – Post Original Response to Instructor’s Question | July 11 | 4% |
Week 4 Forum A – Respond to 2 Peers | July 14 | 4% |
Week 4 Forum B – Post Original Response to Instructor’s Question | July 14 | 4% |
Week 4 Forum B – Respond to 2 Peers | July 18 | 4% |
Exercise: Give update on final paper/project | July 18 | 1% |
Week 5 Forum A – Post Original Response to Instructor’s Question | July 18 | 4% |
Week 5 Forum A – Respond to 2 Peers | July 21 | 4% |
Week 5 Forum B – Post Original Response to Instructor’s Question | July 21 | 4% |
Week 5 Forum B – Respond to 2 Peers | July 25 | 4% |
Exercise: Summarize Final | July 24 | 2% |
Final Paper/Project | July 31 | 20% |
*All assignments are due 11:59 PM.
See Moodle classroom page for schedule of readings.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES. Upon completion of this class, students will be able to do the following:
- Identify and describe the different humanistic disciplines, their historical contexts, and their various socio-cultural functions.
- Describe the basic elements and principles of the formal analysis of various artistic disciplines, and apply that analysis toward understanding and interpreting various humanistic works (of literature, visual arts, film, music, theater, dance, and philosophy).
- Articulate personal sensibilities of taste recognizing the diverse cultural responses and approaches that exist between people and the arts.
ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTIONS: Weights may be adjusted.
- Weekly Forums – 8 points each, total of 72 points
- There are a total of 9 Forums for you to complete this term. You have one the first week, and two (A and B) each subsequent week.
- These are weekly forums that correspond with assigned reading. Your instructor provides a question prompt in the forum each week.
- See deadlines table (above). In sum, the directions are: by Tuesday 11:59 pm of each week, post a response to the instructor’s question(s) in Forum A.
- Guidelines for Original Post Responding to Instructor Question: Minimum of 250 words (longer is fine, roughly two to four paragraphs recommended).
- Guidelines for Responding to Peers: Write a minimum of 100 words per response expressing some new insight learned from reading the peer’s post. How did this student’s contribution/interpretation differ from yours, and what have you learned from this? (Learning Objective 3) Please always be respectful, courteous, and professional in your responses. You are welcome to express a different point-of-view, but always do so with respect for your conversation partner(s).
- Online Exercises – 8 points
- These are activities throughout the semester listed in the respective week. Details will be posted on the Moodle page.
- Final Paper/Project – 20 points
- The final project for this course may take either of two forms.
- Design a ritual / Design, implement, and record a public or small group ritual – Must include written essay (2-3 page (double-spaced) commentary on design and results/outcomes).
- Analytical paper – Attend a public ritual (ceremony) DURING THE WEEKS OF THIS COURSE, take fieldnotes about the ritual, and write an essay analyzing the components and outcomes of the ritual, using a minimum of two themes from our required readings to help you interpret the event. 6-8 pages double-spaced.
- Paper must be 12 point font (any standard font), double-spaced, .doc or .docx format, and include references in correct Chicago or MLA style.
- The final project for this course may take either of two forms.
COURSE POLICIES
Communications
Throughout course, to contact students, instructor will use Peralta email and Moodle messaging. It is of utmost priority that students view their Peralta email. You may forward your Peralta Student Email to a preferred account using the directions at: http://web.peralta.edu/it/studentemail/.
Disability Statement
Berkeley City College is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all individuals with disabilities. This syllabus and the course materials are available in alternate formats upon request. If you have a disability that may have some impact on your work in this class and for which you may need accommodations, please see a staff member in Programs & Services for Students with Disabilities (PSSD) to request accommodations. For students that receive accommodation letters, please meet with me to discuss academic arrangements as early in the term as possible. PSSD can be located in Room 261 of the Center Street campus or by phone at (510) 981-2812 or 2813.
Deadlines
This instructor does not accept late work except under special circumstances where an arrangement is agreed on.
Academic Honesty
This instructor does not tolerate plagiarism including self-plagiarism (e.g., submitting the same content as two assignments). Assignments that contain plagiarism will receive zero credit and may result in disciplinary action. Please see Peralta’s statement on Academic Dishonesty, Due Process & Conduct.