Course Schedule and Assignments
Below is a list of the course schedule and assignments, including due dates, readings, online assignments, discussion questions, and handouts.
N.B. The following dates are the assignment due dates; all written assignments must be submitted or posted no later than 11:59pm on the specified due date.
WEEK ONE (August 22-26)
August 23: On-Campus Orientation Session
- Instructor and student introductions
- Introduction to course
- Access course website
- Discuss course syllabus
- Discuss schedule and assignments
- Break (purchase course text)
- Discussion of technology
- Saving files (.doc and .rtf formats)
- Sending e-mail and e-mail attachments
- Class discussion via Blackboard
August 24: Course Orientation, Introductions, and Sample Writing
- Read Course Orientation and related material on the course website
- Access the discussion forum
- Post an introduction of yourself in the conference folder entitled "Introductions"
- Post a response to the writing prompt listed in the conference folder entitled "You Are What You Buy"
WEEK TWO (August 29-September 2)
August 29: An Introduction to Semiotics and Popular Culture
August 31: The Culture of American Consumption
- Read Chapter One "Introduction" (81-89)
- Read Laurence Shames's "The More Factor" (90-96)
- Read John Verdant's "The Ables vs. the Binges" (152-158)
- Read Thomas Frank's "Commodify Your Dissent" (163-168)
- Access the discussion forum and post a response to the writing prompt listed in the conference folder entitled "Shames, Verdant, & Frank"
WEEK THREE (September 5-9)
September 05: The Signs of Advertising
- Read Chapter Two "Introduction" (171-179)
- Read James B. Twitchell's "What We Are to Advertisers" (182-187)
- Read Steve Craig's "Men's Men and Women's Women" (187-199)
- Access the discussion forum and post a response to the writing prompt listed in the conference folder entitled "Craig/Twitchell"
September 07: The Signs of Advertising cont.
WEEK FOUR (September 12-16)
September 12: Rough Draft of Essay #1
- Complete rough draft of Essay #1
- Access the discussion forum and post your rough draft of Essay #1 in the conference folder entitled "Essay One Drafts"
- Access the discussion forum and make comments and suggestions on your classmates' rough drafts posted in the conference folder entitled "Essay One Drafts"
- All of the above requirements for Essay #1 are outlined in the description of assignment
September 16: Final Draft of Essay #1
- Final draft of Essay #1 due (submitted to Chris via e-mail attachment no later than 11:59pm)
WEEK FIVE (September 19-23)
September 19: The Culture of American Television and Film
- Read Chapter Three "Introduction" (271-286)
- Read Francine Prose's "Voting Democracy off the Island" (287-293)
- Read Natasha Simons' "Mad Men and the Paradox of the Past" (322-325)
- Access the discussion forum and post a response to the writing prompt listed in the conference folder entitled "Prose/Simons"
September 21: Television and Film cont.
- Read Chapter Four "Introduction" (365-376)
- Read Hirsh Sawhney's "An Idiot's Guide to India" (405-406)
- Read Mitu Sengupta's "Race Relations Light Years from Earth" (412-416)
- Access the discussion forum and post a response to the writing prompt listed in the conference folder entitled "Sawhney/Sengupta"
WEEK SIX (September 26-30)
September 26: Television and Film cont.
- Read Michael Omi's "In Living Color: Race and American Culture" (625-636)
- Reade Matt Zoller Seitz's "The Offensive Movie Cliche That Won't Die" (407-411)
- Access the discussion forum and post a response to the writing prompt listed in the conference folder entitled "Omi/Seitz"
September 28: Television and Film cont.
- Read the handout on film analysis (includes assignment)
- Rent and watch one of the following films: American History X, American Beauty, Crooklyn, or Mississippi Masala
- Access the discussion forum and post a short, 200-300 word analysis of one of the above films in the conference folder entitled "Film Analysis"
WEEK SEVEN (October 3-7)
October 03: Essay #2
October 05: Essay #2 cont.
- Access the discussion forum and post your introduction of Essay #2 in the conference folder entitled "Essay Two Intros"
- Access the discussion forum and make comments and suggestions on your classmates' introductions posted in the conference folder entitled "Essay Two Intros"
WEEK EIGHT (October 10-14)
October 10: Rough Draft of Essay #2
- Complete rough draft of Essay #2
- Access the discussion forum and post your rough draft of Essay #2 in the conference folder entitled "Essay Two Drafts"
- Access the discussion forum and make comments and suggestions on your classmates' rough drafts posted in the conference folder entitled "Essay Two Drafts"
- All of the above requirements for Essay #2 are outlined in the description of assignment
October 14: Final Draft of Essay #2
- Final draft of Essay #2 due (submitted to Chris via e-mail attachment no later than 11:59pm)
WEEK NINE (October 17-21)
October 17: You-Topian Dreams: Semiotics and the New Media
- Read Chapter Five "Introduction" (445-454)
- Read Henry Jenkins' "Convergence Culture" (455-468)
- Read Steven Johnson's "It's All About Us" (469-472)
- Access the discussion forum and post a response to the writing prompt listed in the conference folder entitled "Jenkins/Johnson"
October 19: You-Topian Dreams cont./Essay #3
- Read Brian Williams' "Enough About You" (472-474)
- Read Ian Daly's "Virtual Popularity Isn't Cool--It's Pathetic" (480-482)
- Read "Students Addicted to Social Media" (483-486)
- Access the discussion forum and post a response to the writing prompt listed in the conference folder entitled "Williams, et al"
WEEK TEN (October 24-28)
October 24: Essay #3
October 26: Essay #3 cont.
- Access the discussion forum and post your thesis statement of Essay #3 in the conference folder entitled "Essay Three Thesis"
- Access the discussion forum and make detailed comments and suggestions on your classmates' thesis statements in the conference folder entitled "Essay Three Thesis"
- Begin writing introduction of Essay #3
WEEK ELEVEN (October 31-Novemeber 4)
October 31: Essay #3 cont.
- Access the discussion forum and post your introduction of Essay #3 in the conference folder entitled "Essay Three Intros"
- Access the discussion forum and make comments and suggestions on your classmates' introductions posted in the conference folder entitled "Essay Three Intros"
WEEK TWELVE (November 7-11)
November 07: Rough Draft of Essay #3
- Access the discussion forum and post your rough draft of Essay #3 in the conference folder entitled "Essay Three Drafts"
- Access the discussion forum and make comments and suggestions on your classmates' rough drafts posted in the conference folder entitled "Essay Three Drafts"
- All of the above requirements for Essay #3 are outlined in the description of assignment
November 10: Final Draft of Essay #3
- Final draft of Essay #3 due (submitted to Chris via e-mail attachment no later than 11:59pm)
WEEK THIRTEEN (November 14-18)
November 14: Essay #4
November 16: Essay #4 cont.
- Access the discussion forum and post a summary of two (2) of the articles from your chosen chapter in the conference folder entitled "Article Summaries"
- Begin developing a thesis statement and outline for Essay #4
WEEK FOURTEEN (November 21-25)
November 21: Essay #4 cont.
- Access the discussion forum and post your thesis statement and outline in the conference folder entitled "Essay Four Thesis"
- Access the discussion forum and make detailed comments and suggestions on your classmates' thesis statement and outline posted in the conference folder entitled "Essay Four Thesis"
November 23-25: Thanksgiving Break
- Be Grateful!
- Express Thanks!
WEEK SIXTEEN (November 28-December 2)
November 28: Rough Draft Essay #4 cont.
- Complete the first three (3) pages of the rough draft of Essay #4
- Access the discussion forum and post the first page of of Essay #4 in the conference folder entitled "Essay Four Beginning"
- Access the discussion forum and make comments and suggestions on your classmates' introductions posted in the conference folder entitled "Essay Four Beginning"
November 30: Rough Draft of Essay #4
- Based on the comments of your peers, revise the first three pages of your essay and continue drafting the remainder of your essay
WEEK SEVENTEEN (December 5-9)
December 05: Rough Draft Essay #4 cont.
- Access the discussion forum and post your rough draft of Essay #4 in the conference folder entitled "Essay Four Drafts"
- Access the discussion forum and make comments and suggestions on your classmates' rough drafts posted in the conference folder entitled "Essay Four Drafts"
December 09: Final Draft of Essay #4
- Final draft of Essay #4 due (submitted to Chris via e-mail attachment no later than 11:59pm)
