As we will learn information about people, places and events, we will also practice essential reading, writing, speaking and listening skills that as educated persons we use to inquire about the world, to see how others place themselves in it, and to place ourselves in it. Our emphasis will be on critical thinking and sophisticated uses of information. You will be not just permitted but expected to develop your own interpretations of what we read, see, and hear, and to communicate those interpretations effectively, taking responsibility for your own ideas. You will encounter values different from your own, giving you the opportunity to practice responding to difference with open-minded efforts to understand before accepting or rejecting. However, you must complete all the assignments listed on the schedule to be eligible for a passing grade in the course.
Assignments are due in class on the days assigned.
Late work will be docked one full grade for each day late unless your lateness is excused by us on or before the day the draft is due. Late papers go to the bottom of our stacks of work, and will not be returned to you as promptly as on-time papers. Papers must be typed or printed by computer, double-spaced, with wide margins on standard white typing paper. Papers not conforming to these standards will be returned to their authors for recopying and will be considered unexcused late papers. We grade papers on style and content, according to standards we will learn about and agree upon as a group.