LIT3018: Honors Seminar: The Languages of Food: Culture and Media
Spring 2024
Tentative Course Schedule
TR 2:00-3:15 GWC 407
NOTE: This schedule may change as needed. Your presence in class ensures correct assignments
ALL ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE BY THE BEGINNING OF OUR CLASS MEETING TIME (2:00 PM)
WEEK 1
T 1/9 Course Introduction; What is a Seminar? Freewrite: What Does Food
Communicate About Who We Are?
HOMEWORK (DUE 1/11):
- Read Guiding Principles
- Complete the Syllabus Quiz (Week 1 folder of ulearn)
- Set Up Blog; email the Web address to your page (http://wordpress)
to Professor Harmon: kenny.harmon@jwu.edu by class time.
- Read "It Is Food That Calls Us Home" by Ikebuchi and Ketchell (See week 1
- folder in ulearn).
- Do Reader Response 1: what do Ikebuchi and Ketchell teach us about the role of
- food in cultural identity? Your post should be a minimum of 450 words and
- include a minimum of one quote. Submit to ulearn.
R 1/11 Discuss Ikebuchi and Ketchell
HOMEWORK (DUE 1/16):
- Read "Little Things" by Raymond Carver; be prepared to discuss
WEEK 2
T 1/16 Review Fiction Terms and Discuss Little Things; Blog Post
HOMEWORK (DUE 1/18):
- Read "A Bunch of Broccoli on the Third Shelf" (See Week 2 folder).
- Do Reader Response 2: What is it that Nina wants and what might be keeping
her from that? Is she the same person at the conclusion of the story that we met
at the beginning? Has she changed in any way or has her perception changed?
This is an argument. Support your positions with evidence from the text and
offer clear explanations of your claims. Your response must be a minimum of
450 words and include a minimum of one quote. Submit to ulearn.
R 1/18 Discuss "A Bunch of Broccoli on the Third Shelf; Blog Post
HOMEWORK (DUE 1/23):
- Read "Borscht" (see week 2 folder)
- Do Reader Response 3: What is the central theme of this piece and what does the
story teach the reader about that idea and about what it means to be human?
What role does food play in this message? This is an argument. Support your
positions with evidence from the text and offer clear explanations of your
claims. Your response must be a minimum of 450 words and include a minimum
of one quote. Submit to ulearn.
WEEK 3
T 1/23 Discuss "Borscht"; Blog Post
HOMEWORK (DUE 1/25):
- Watch Recipe for Moqueca
- Read "Moqueca Chronicle" by Brandon Kilbourne
- Do Reader Response 4: What connections does the speaker of the poem make
between their own identity and geography (physical place), history, and this
dish? This is an argument. Support your positions with evidence from the text
and offer clear explanations of your claims. Your response must be a minimum
of 450 words and include a minimum of one quote. Submit to ulearn.
R 1/25 Review Elements of Poetry and Discuss "Moqueca Chronicle" by Brandon
Martin; Blog Post
HOMEWORK (DUE 1/30):
- Watch the "NC Barbecue Trail"
- Do Reader Response 5: What connections does the speaker of the poem make
between their own identity and geography (physical place), history, and this
dish? This is an argument. Support your positions with evidence from the text
and offer clear explanations of your claims. Your response must be a minimum
of 450 words and include a minimum of one quote. Submit to ulearn.
WEEK 4
T 1/30 Discuss Brandon Martin Poems; Blog Post
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/1):
R 2/1 Film Terms; Analyze Scene; Blog Post
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/6):
- Read instructions for Essay 1
- Watch Chocolat (Watch free with Amazon Prime Subscription, 2 hours)
- Do Reader Response 6: How does the director of this film use camera shots,
sound, lighting, and costume design to make connect chocolate to the idea of
morality in the community? This is an argument. Support your positions with
evidence from the text and offer clear explanations of your claims. Your
response must be a minimum of 450 words and include a minimum of one
quote. Submit to ulearn.
WEEK 5
T 2/6 Discuss Chocolat
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/8):
- No Homework
R 2/8 Invention Work for Essay 1
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/13):
- Complete Claim and Subclaims and upload to Ulearn
WEEK 6
T 2/13 Discuss Claim and Subclaims; Provide Feedback
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/15):
- First Draft of Essay 1 Due; Upload to ulearn and Submit to Tutor.com
R 2/15 Exchange for Peer Critique; Why Critique?
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/20):
- Complete Typed Peer Critique (both parts as explained in class) and upload to
ulearn.
- Complete Tutor.com Report and Revision Plan (both parts as explained in
class) and upload to ulearn
WEEK 7
T 2/20 Share Critiques; Conferences
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/22):
- Continue to Revise Essay 1; submit revision to Tutor.com
R 2/22 Watch East Side Sushi (outside of class) and complete blog post by 11:59pm.
Available on Kanopy (library database) and Amazon Prime
Homework (DUE 2/27):
- Final Draft of Essay 1 due with Reflection
WEEK 8
T 2/27 Discuss East Side Sushi
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/29):
- Read chapters 1 and 2 of Like Water for Chocolate, pp. 1-41
- Do Reader Response 7: Identify and important symbol in this section related
to food. What does it reveal about family, gender, identity, history, etc.? Why
do you think the author made use of it this way in this particular example?
This is an argument. Support your positions with evidence from the text and
offer clear explanations of your claims. Your response must be a minimum of
450 words and include a minimum of one quote. Submit to ulearn.
R 2/29 Discuss Like Water for Chocolate
HOMEWORK (DUE 3/12):
- Read chapters 3 and 4 of Like Water for Chocolate, pp. 47-81
- Watch Soul Food ($3.79 on Amazon, 2 hours)
MARCH 4-8 SPRING BREAK, NO CLASS
WEEK 9
T 3/12 Discuss Like Water for Chocolate
HOMEWORK (DUE 3/14):
- Read chapters 5 and 6 of Like Water for Chocolate, pp. 87-118
- Do Reader Response 8: Identify and important symbol in this section related
to food. What does it reveal about family, gender, identity, history, etc.? Why
do you think the author made use of it this way in this particular example?
This is an argument. Support your positions with evidence from the text and
offer clear explanations of your claims. Your response must be a minimum of
450 words and include a minimum of one quote. Submit to ulearn.
R 3/14 Discuss Like Water for Chocolate
HOMEWORK (DUE 3/19):
Read chapters 7 and 8, pp. 123-159
WEEK 10
T 3/19 Discuss Like Water for Chocolate
HOMEWORK (DUE 3/21):
- Read chapters 9 and 10, pp. 165-203
- Read "Culinary Eros in Contemporary Hispanic Female Fiction:
From Kitchen Tales to Table Narratives" by Maite Zubiaurre (See week 10
folder in ulearn)
- Do Reader Response 9: Identify and important symbol in this section related
to food. What does it reveal about family, gender, identity, history, etc.? Why
do you think the author made use of it this way in this particular example?
This is an argument. Support your positions with evidence from the text and
offer clear explanations of your claims. Your response must be a minimum of
450 words and include a minimum of one quote. Submit to ulearn.
R 3/21 Discuss Like Water for Chocolate
HOMEWORK (DUE 3/26)
- Read chapters 11 and 12, pp. 209-246
- Do Reader Response 10: Identify and important symbol in this section related
to food. What does it reveal about family, gender, identity, history, etc.? Why
do you think the author made use of it this way in this particular example?
This is an argument. Support your positions with evidence from the text and
offer clear explanations of your claims. Your response must be a minimum of
450 words and include a minimum of one quote. Submit to ulearn.
WEEK 11
T 3/26 Discuss Like Water for Chocolate
HOMEWORK (DUE 3/28):
- Begin thinking about possible topics for Essay 2
R 3/28 Research Day at Library
HOMEWORK (DUE 4/2):
- Complete Topic Pr0posal for Essay 2
WEEK 12
T 4/2 Work on Annotated Bibliography (Library)
HOMEWORK (DUE 4/4):
- Work on first four annotations due\
R 4/4 Work on Annotated Bibliography
HOMEWORK (DUE 4/9):
- Work on Annotated Bibliography
- First Four Annotations Due
WEEK 13
T 4/9 First Four Annotations due; Work on Final Four Annotations at Library
HOMEWORK (DUE 4/11):
- Final four annotations due; submit to ulearn
- Bring a Research Question on Thursday (the question you'd like for your
paper to answer)
R 4/11 Meet at Coco and the Director (100 West Trade Street)
Share Research Resources; Discuss Approaches and Research Questions
HOMEWORK (DUE 4/16):
- Claim and Subclaims due
WEEK 14
T 4/16 Feedback for Claim and Subclaims
HOMEWORK (DUE 4/18):
- First Draft of Essay 2 due (must include in-text citations and works cited
- page); Upload to ulearn and Tutor.com
R 4/18 First Draft of Essay 2 Due; Exchange for Peer Critique; Why Critique?
HOMEWORK (DUE 4/23):
- Complete Typed Peer Critique (both parts as explained in class) and upload
to ulearn.
- Complete Tutor.com Report and Revision Plan (both parts as explained in
class) and upload to ulearn
- Continue to Revise Essay 2
WEEK 15
T 4/23 Reading Day (Share Critiques via Email and Meet on Zoom to Discuss); LAST
DAY TO WITHDRAW FROM A COURSE
HOMEWORK (DUE 4/30):
- Final Draft of Essay 2 due with Reflection; Due by 3:30pm
WEEK 16
R 4/25 Final Draft of Essay 2 Due with Reflection; Due by 3:30pm
