LIBS 4900:  Liberal Studies Capstone:  The Great Conversation

Tentative Course Schedule Fall 2021

MW 3:00-4:45 GWC 408

WEEK 1        WEEK 2      WEEK 3     WEEK 4     WEEK 5     WEEK 6      WEEK 7       WEEK 8   

WEEK 9     WEEK 10    WEEK 11     WEEK 12     WEEK 13   WEEK 14    WEEK 15     WEEK 16

NOTE:  This schedule may change as needed.  Your presence in class ensures correct assignments

WEEK 1

M 8/30    Course Introduction; Blog Post: Plato's Allegory of the Cave; what is the central

                   message of this text, why do you think so, and what is your evidence?

                           

                   HOMEWORK (DUE 9/1):

•          Set up course blog and email web address to Prof. Harmon by class time; 
  

                  kenny.harmon@jwu.edu; follow all instructions carefully.

•         Complete Syllabus Quiz in ulearn
  

•         Read Book 1, Chapters 1 and 2 of Plato's Republic, pp. 1-14
  

W 9/1        Discuss Chapters 1 & 2 of The Republic

                  HOMEWORK (DUE 9/6):             

•         Read Book 1, Chapters 3 and 4 of Plato's Republic, pp. 15-40.
  

•         Do Response 1:  What do you think of Socrates' method of argument? Is it a 
  

                  convincing way of arguing? Do you believe him when he says that he knows

                  nothing? Explain your position and support it with evidence from the text. 

                  (Due M 9/6)

WEEK 2

M 9/6    NO CLASS, LABOR DAY    

                 HOMEWORK (DUE 9/8): 

•         Read Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, chapters 6 & 7
  

•         Complete Reading Quiz 1 in ulearn
  

W 9/8     Discuss Douglass; Make Connections to Plato

                HOMEWORK (DUE 9/13):  

•       Read, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, chapter 10
  

•       Complete Reading Quiz 2 in ulearn
  

WEEK 3

M 9/13   Continue Discussion of Douglass and Connections to Plato

                 HOMEWORK (DUE 9/15): 

•        Read Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs, chapters 5 & 6
  

•        Do Response 2:  How do Jacob's and Douglass's text define truth and justice?      
  

                 How does this compare to Plato's definition?​ Explain your position and

                 support it with evidence from the texts.

•        Complete Reading Quiz 3 in ulearn
  

 W 9/15   Discuss Jacobs; Connections to Plato

                 HOMEWORK (DUE 9/20):

• ​        Read The Nicomachean Ethics, Book 2 & Book V (sections 1 &2)
  

WEEK 4

M 9/20   CLASS MEETS ONLINE TODAY; COMPLETE INITIAL DISCUSSION POST 

                  BEFORE 6PM; Discuss Aristotle:  Virtue and Justice  

                 HOMEWORK (DUE 9/22):

• ​       Respond to the posts of two other students on the Nicomachean Ethics    
  

                 discussion board; see week 4 folder for details and instructions

•        Read Introduction to The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir
  

W 9/22  Discuss Simone de Beauvoir

                HOMEWORK (DUE 9/27):  

•        Read "Sweat" by Zora Neale Hurston & Ain't I a Woman by Sojourner Truth
  

•        Watch Alfre Woodard Perform Truth's Speech
  

•        Do Response 3:  How do Hurston's and Truth's texts define what it means to be
  

                 free and/or what it means to be virtous? How do they define the idea of 

                freedom? How do these compare to Plato and/or Aristotle's ideas? Explain 

                your position and support it with evidence from the texts.

                Complete Reading Quiz 4 in ulearn

WEEK 5

M 9/27      CLASS MEETS ONLINE; COMPLETE INITIAL DISCUSSION BOARD POST BY 

                    6PM;  

                   HOMEWORK (DUE 9/29):  

•          Respond to the posts of two other students before class
  

•          Read "Notes of a Native Son" by James Baldwin
  

R 9/29      Discuss Baldwin;  What is the Purpose of a Research Question? & How to

                    Do Topic Proposal

                    HOMEWORK (DUE 10/4):  

•            Watch I am Not Your Negro (documentary film) in Kanopy (library 
  

                     database; "streaming" database)

•            Research Topic Proposal Due
  

WEEK 6

M 10/4   Continue Discussion of Baldwin; Submit Research Topic Proposal  

                  HOMEWORK (DUE 10/6): 

•         Read Prologue and Chapter 1 to Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man 
  

•         Complete Reading Quiz 5 in ulearn
  

W 10/6    Discuss Baldwin; Discuss Research Projects

                 HOMEWORK (DUE 10/11):  

•        Watch John Coltrane, "Alabama" & read background material.
  

•        Watch "I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel to Be Free)"
  

•        Watch Nina Simone, "Mississippi Goddam"                                                                       
  

•        Read context/background for Simone
  

•        Read "The Social Interpretation of Modern Jazz" by Alan Lewis
  

•       The Visual Art of Romare Bearden and Jazz
  

•       Do Response 4:  Choose any two texts [Baldwin (essay or film), Ellison    
  

                and compare this to the work of a jazz artist];  Answer this question:  How to

               these two creative figures define truth, justice, virute, or freedom? YOU ALSO 

               MUST INCLUDE AT LEAST ONE QUOTE FROM ALAN LEWIS'S ARTICLE about 

               the social interpretation of jazz. Explain your position and support it with 

               evidence from the texts.

​WEEK 7

M 10/11   NO REGULAR CLASS MEETING:  GATHER RESEARCH; Post MLA Citations 

                   and Explanations of Use for 8 Sources to Blog by 6pm;

                   Continue to Refine Research Questions/Topics & Discuss Musical and Visual 

                   Artists in Context of Lewis Essay; Review Annotated Bibliography

                  HOMEWORK (DUE 10/13):

•         Read Excerpt from Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye (in ulearn)
  

•         Complete Reading Quiz 6 in ulearn
  

•         Begin Work on Annotated Bibliography
  

W 10/13   Discuss Morrison (Beauty, Truth, Freedom)

                  HOMEWORK (DUE 10/18):

•          Watch Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple (Based on novel by Alice Walker)
  

•          Read Toward a Feminist Theory of Freedom (Introduction): Available in the
  

                   Ebsco ebook Collection (library database)

                   Complete Reading Quiz 7 in Ulearn

•          First Half of Annotated Bibliography Due (4 Annotations)
  

WEEK 8

 M 10/18 First Half of Annotated Bibliography Due; Discuss The Color Purple and the 

                   Ideas of Virtue and Freedom

                  HOMEWORK (DUE 10/20): 

•          Read For Colored Girls Who've Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf 
  

                  by Ntozake Shange; listen here.

•         Watch a choreographed short video here.
  

•         Do Reader Response 5: How do Morrison's, Speilberg's, and Shange's texts 
  

                 define the idea of beauty and what is this concept's connection to the ideas of 

                 freedom and virtue? Explain your position and support it with evidence from 

                the texts.

                ​

W 10/20   Shange:  Racism, Sexism, Pain, Anger (What is Truth? What is Freedom?)

                  HOMEWORK (DUE 10/25):  

•         Read "Freedom of the Will and the Concept of a Person" by Harry Frankfurt
  

•         Remainder of Annotated Bibliography Due (Final 4 Annotations)
  

WEEK 9

M 10/25  Remainder of Annotated Bibliography Due; Watch Do The Right Thing

                  HOMEWORK (DUE 10/27):  

• ​         Read about the art of Jean-Michel Basquiat 
  

•         Read about the art of Tamara Natalie Madden
  

•         Watch "This is America" by Childish Gambino (Donald Glover)
  

•         Sample socially-conscious hip hop
  

•         Sample more here
  

W 10/27   Finish Do The Right Thing; Discuss Socially Conscious Hip-Hop and Art; 

                    Make Connections to Past Texts

                   W (DUE 11/1):  

• ​          Outline for Midterm due (min. 1 page, single-spaced)
  

WEEK 10

M 11/1      Outline for Midterm Due; Discuss Organizing Your Ideas;

                   HOMEWORK (DUE 11/3):

•   ​        First Draft of Midterm Due (4 FULL pages up to 6 FULL pages); submit to                    ulearn AND submit to Smarthinking tutor for feedback
  

W 11/3    First Draft of Midterm Due;  Why Critique?; Conferences

                  HOMEWORK (DUE 11/8):

•          Complete Typed Critique of Partner's Paper (BOTH PARTS) and submit to                   ulearn
  

•          Smarthinking Report and Revision Plan Due; submit to ulearn
  

WEEK 11

M 11/8    Peer Critique of Midterm; Conferences

                  HOMEWORK (DUE 11/10):

•         Final Draft of Midterm Due with Reflection
  

W 11/10   FINAL DRAFT MIDTERM DUE with Reflection; Work on Research Outline

                   HOMEWORK (DUE 11/15):

•           Research Project Outline Due (min. 2 FULL single-spaced pages)
  

WEEK 12

 M 11/15   Outline for Research Project Due; Discuss Outlines for Research

                   HOMEWORK (DUE 11/17):

•           First FULL draft of Research Project Due (8 FULL pages up to 10; in addition,
  

                    include works cited page; submit to ulearn AND Smarthinking

W 11/17   First Draft of Research Project Due; Draft Revision Workday/Conferences;

                   Why Criique?

                   HOMEWORK (DUE 11/22):

•         Complete Typed Peer Critique of Partner's Paper
  

•         Submit Smarthinking Report and Revision Plan
  

•         Continue to Revise Research Project
  

WEEK 13   

M 11/22   Peer Critique; ST Report and Revision Plan Due; Conferences 

                   HOMEWORK (DUE 11/29):

•          Final Draft of Research Project Due
  

W 11/24   NO CLASS, THANKSGIVING BREAK     

WEEK 14

M 11/29    Conferences

                    HOMEWORK (DUE 12/1):

•            Work on Research Project Presentation
  

W 12/1      Final Draft of Research Project Due with Reflection; Discuss Portfolio

                     HOMEWORK (DUE 12/6):

•             Research Project Presentation Due
  

WEEK 15

M 12/6        RESEARCH PROJECT PRESENTATION (Delivered in Class)

                     HOMEWORK (DUE 12/8):

•            Work on Course Portfolio
  

W 12/8       Workday for Portfolio

                      HOMEWORK (DUE 12/13):

                      Work on Course Portfolio

​WEEK 16

M 12/13      Course Portfolio Due; (CLASS MEETS 1:30-3:30PM)