Course Syllabus

Dimensions resources:

Welcome

Introduce yourself

Hero's Journey

Introductory videos

Empathy, Class, Race, and Caste

Communication Guidelines

TILT Tutorials

Irony and readings for WEEK II

Introduction

Advice

Warning

Instructor's Biography

See Module for WEEK I or Canvas syllabus in the lefthand navigation

Module readings and videos

Section One: Journals, Memoirs, First-Person Accounts

Section One: Journals, Memoirs, First-Person Accounts

Read, reflect, and respond:

Your first reading assignment are the following stories fromThe Dimensions Reader, between pages xi–80. If you do not have the book, just google the title and author, you can find these stories online in many places.

NOTE: Many of our readings have to do withdissent, alienation, oppression, and freedom.Look for these themes in all your readings and throughout this course.

1) "Learning to Read and WriteLinks to an external site." by Frederick Douglass ... or click on this:

...Douglass Learning to Read and Write.pdfDownload Douglass Learning to Read and Write.pdf

2) "The Library Card" by Richard Wright ... or click on this:The Library Card.pdfDownload The Library Card.pdf

3) "At Last I Kill a Buffalo" by Luther Standing Bear ...

... or click on this:At Last I Kill a Buffalo.pdfDownload At Last I Kill a Buffalo.pdf

4) "Indian Education" by Sherman Alexie ...find yourselfor click on this:

Alexie_IndianEducation.pdfDownload Alexie_IndianEducation.pdf

5) Watch the following two videos by Robin DiAngelo: a) thisvideo on mythsLinks to an external site.; and, b) thisvideo on White fragilityLinks to an external site..

6) Read Layla F. Saad's book,Me and White Supremacy, pp. ix–28

Readings and videos.

Look for irony in its many forms:

Irony:Irony has to do with the opposite of what’s said.

Verbal irony:Irony has to do with the opposite of what’s said. For example: “Clear as mud.” Language signifying the opposite for humorous effect.

Dramatic irony:“I’m not going to kill you!” the actor in a film says but the audience sees the gun he’s hiding from the soon-to-be victim.

Situational irony:1) John Hinkley shoots at Ronald Reagan and misses him before the bullet ricochets off the limo designed to protect the President from gunfire but then the bullet hits Reagan; 2) The Wizard in the Wizard of Oz (all-powerful but actually has no power), Dorothy (searching for a way to get home but has the power all along), the brainless Scarecrow (who is actually smart), the cowardly Lion (who is actually brave).

Historical irony:WWI (the war to end all wars ... which, of course, ended no wars); the Titanic (said to be unsinkable ... but sank).

Sarcasm:Use of irony to mock or convey contempt.“Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, but the highest form of intelligence.”Oscar Wilde

Double-entendre:a figure of speech that has a double meaning, one of which is often sexual.James Bondfilms have many sexist examples, such as: “Cunning linguist” (for cunnilingus), or, “Brushing up on a little Danish” (not referring to the language).

Satire:The use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize contemporary politics or other issues or people in power (seeThe Colbert Report,The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,Saturday Night Live, etc.).

Poetry

1)Go to Poets.org and read their webpage,"How to Read a PoemLinks to an external site.". Pore over this page and study it before applying it to the poems in your assigned reading for this week.

2) Read the poems (the play is optional),pp. 81–123, inSection Two:Poetry and DramafromThe Dimensions Reader.For those who do not have a copy ofThe Dimensions Reader, I will attach the titles and authors of the poemsso you can look them up yourself and read them online.

3) Go to Sarah Kay's TED Talk,"If I Should Have a Daughter"Links to an external site., and watch it. Observe how she uses poetry to figure things out. Writing, and poetry, and drawing, are all ways of figuring things out. Build on this and apply it.

4) Read Layla Saad's Me and White Supremacy, pp. 29–59. Then be prepared to respond to a prompt from her book (go here,Layla Saad Part II.pdfDownload Layla Saad Part II.pdf, in case your book has not yet arrived ... but after this week you must have your book).

Reading, writing, and watching videos.

Short Stories and fighting White supremacy.

1) Watch this short video by The School of Life entitled, “Literature — George OrwellLinks to an external site.”.Pay particularly close attention to his perspectives of writing and freedom.

2) Read George Orwell's, "Shooting an Elephant".

2) ReadShirley Jackson's,"The Lottery".

3) Read Layla F. Saad'sMe and White Supremacy,pp. 60–83.

Reading, writing, and watching videos.

Thinking deeply about things that matter.

1) Read“Cuss Time” by Jill McCorkleLinks to an external site..

2) Read“White Privilege” by Peggy McIntoshLinks to an external site..

3) ReadPlato's "Allegory of the Cave"Links to an external site.. (Do not do any research on this. Tackle this on your own. Use your own brain not those of others. You will not be penalized for getting anything wrong. But I am looking for evidence of you reading it and the struggling to understand it. Struggle is important. It's where growth happens.)

4) Read Layla F. Saad'sMe and White Supremacy,pp. 84–120.

5) WatchAva DuVernay's highly-acclaimed film, "13th"Links to an external site.(found on YouTube and Netflix).

Short stories, video, spoken word poetry, an allegory, film, and fighting White supremacy.

Socialization, Anti-Blackness, and fighting White supremacy

1) Watch a selection of short videos about socialization into American culture.

2) Read Layla F. Saad's,Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestorby Layla F. Saad, pp. 125–210 (finish the book), and respond.

3) Open and look over the PowerPoint, "Once You See It, You cannot Unsee It", that I have attached. Explore all the links. You DO NOT have to read the links to various readings, but YOU MUST watch all the videos. Watch the videos and respond. Although this will finish up our work in class on racism and anti-Blackness, this work will never be done in our lifetimes.

Watching videos, reading, writing, and viewing a PowerPoint.

Video and extended novel reading.

1)WatchHyeonseo LeeLinks to an external site.'s TED Talk on her escape from North Korea.

2) Read Adam Johnson's The Orphan Master's Son,pp. 01–90. (ATTENTION: Talk back to the text; take notes; write in the margins; use a highlighter; work the text; ask questions; look for clues; make informed decisions based on the evidence provided; consider the ethical decisions Jun Do makes on a daily basis; get in practice of doing these things now because you will need to do this in the second part of the book to make sense of it.)

Video, reading, writing.

Video and extended novel reading.

1)ReadThe Orphan Master's Son, pp. 91–175.

Reading and writing.

Extending novel reading.

1)ReadThe Orphan Master's Son, pp. 179–259.

Reading and writing.

Extended novel reading.

1)ReadThe Orphan Master's Son, pp. 260–351.

Reading and writing.

Extended novel reading.

1)ReadThe Orphan Master's Son, pp. 352–443 (FINISH THE BOOK).

Reading and writing.

Watch the classic film, "Casablanca" (1942/43) directed by Michael Curtiz.

1) Watch the film, "Casablanca" (1942/43), directed by Michael Curtiz.This film can be found in the following places:

a) Renting from Amazon ($4) might be your best option.

b) Renting from Youtube ($4) is an equally good option(Note: Youtube used to offer the full film for free but now that option is a version of the film that is NOT worth your time, so don't do it.)

c) Your local library should have a DVD in their video collection, and that might be for free.But you'll need a library card. If you do not have a library card, you should get one. You should always have a library card. Access to your local library as well as to the Harness Library, are important for Vermont college students and informed citizens.

d)KanopyLinks to an external site.:You have access to Kanopy, which is awesome, but you need to create your own account and access through the Hartness Library. Unfortunately, it does not look like Kanopy offers "Casablanca" at this time. Perhaps that'll change before the due date but I wouldn't count on it. Nevertheless, you should explore Kanopy for fun since, as a CCV student, you get access to it.

NOTE:DO NOT RESEARCH THIS FILM ON THE INTERNET OR ANYWHERE ELSE.USE YOUR OWN MIND, YOUR OWN CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS, YOUR OWN EFFORTS TO UNDERSTAND THIS FILM. MAKE CONNECTIONS TO THE ORPHAN MASTER'S SON, JUN DO, SUN MOON, AND MORE.

Watch a classic film and write.

Map reading and reflecting about white supremacy in Vermont.

Throughout this semester, your assignments have included stories from memoirs, biographies, articles, short stories, longer pieces of fiction and non-fiction, a novel, poetry, videos, film shorts, a documentary, and a feature film.

Next week, you will have a map to read and make sense of fromGuerrilla Cartography.

The map and blog you will read and respond to can be found here:

https://www.guerrillacartography.org/blog/vermonts-great-retreat

The readGo toGenocide Watch

Links to an external sitClick onTen StagesLinks to an external site.in the top navigation ... or scroll down toTEN STAGES OF GENOCIDELinks to an external site.and click on that.

Scroll down to the second listing of the Ten Stages of Genocide (black type with white background) and click on each stage so the definitions appear. READ ABOUT EVERY ONE OF THE TEN STAGES OF GENOCIDE.

Read a map and the process that went into creating it. Then reflect and respond through writing and posting your thoughts.

Research project.

Research project based on Dr. Stanton's Ten Stages of Genocide.

Researching, reading, and writing.

Career Research Project.

Career exploration.

Reading and writing.