Historical Thought Essay II Spring 2017

On this date on Round and Square's History 

29 January 2016
29 January 2016
29 January 2015
29 January 2015
29 January 2014—Erlangen 91052: Rauchen kann tödlich sein
29 January 2014
29 January 2013
29 January 2012
29 January 2011    

Historical Thought Essay II

All Classes

Spring 2017

Read the materials assigned in weeks two and three in your courses. Thes essay is due on Sunday, February 5 (at 5:00 p.m.) as a .pdf file sent to lafleur@bbeloit.edu.

Write an essay of 1,000 words (about three pages) explaining what you think that historical thought (or historical imagination) is...in relation to the primary sources you have studied. Now you are using actual primary sources (look up this phrase if you are not sure about it).
Students in all classes must add an illustration to the essay (think about our New York Review of Books discussions).

     HIST 150: D.C. Lau's translation of Confucius's Analects. It's "the Analects"....but it is also an interpretation. Use this source to discuss "historical thought" or "historical imagination."

     HIST 190: William Edgar Geil's archive (and the books you have read thus far...such as Adventures in the African Jungle...). Use these sources to discuss "historical thought" or "historical imagination."

     HIST 210. All of the sources you have been assigned thus far in the Ebrey or Mair books. Use these sources to discuss "historical thought" or "historical imagination." 

Use specific examples (and quotations) from the sources that were assigned.

Use examples from your own life and study (including your study of history—as always).

  

In short, think about how many people think about the word "history" (歷史/历史)..but with specific sources that have been assigned. Then, using what you have learned the courses thus far, write your own essay that discusses the concept of "historical thought" or "historical imagination"...with specific reference to the primary sources (look it up) that you have been assigned.

And add an illustration to your text (it can be from any source, including your own artwork if you really want to).

***  ***

Letters are Due (as .pdf files—attach to an e-mail to lafleur@beloit.edu)

by 5:00 p.m on Sunday, February 5, 2017.

Add the word count and your Beloit College mailbox number to all papers!

Historical Thought Essay I Spring 2017

On this date on Round and Square's History 

23 January 2016—China's Lunar Calendar 2016 01-23
23 January 2015—Confucius and the World Letter Assignment 2015
23 January 2015—China's Lunar Calendar 2015 01-23
23 January 2014—China's Lunar Calendar 2014 01-23
23 January 2013—Channeling Liam: Almonds

23 January 2012—Fieldnotes From History: Settling In Again

[a] Historical....Imagination (WWII Memorial) RF

Historical Thought Essay I

All Classes

Spring 2017

Read all four essays that were assigned for Monday, January 16.

Write an essay of 1,000 words (about three pages) explaining what you think that historical thought (or historical imagination) is. 

Use specific examples (and quotations) from the essays that were assigned.

Use examples from your own life and study (including your study of history).

  

In short, think about how many people think about the word "history" (歷史/历史). Then, using what you have learned from Monday's class, Tuesday's lectures [HIST 150], Wednesday's film [HIST 190 and HIST 210], and the four essays...write your own essay that discusses the concept of "historical thought" or "historical imagination."

***  ***

Letters are Due (as .pdf files—attach to an e-mail to lafleur@beloit.edu)

by noon on Monday, January 23.

Add the word count and your Beloit College mailbox number to all papers!

[b] Historical Thought (and Memory) RF

New York Review of Books Questions 2017

On this date on Round and Square's History 

22 January 2014—China's Lunar Calendar 2014 01-22
22 January 2014—Erlangen 91052: Billiger!

22 January 2013—Channeling Liam: Instant Coffee

22 January 2012—Hurtin' Country: She's Gone, Gone, Gone

[a] Review RF

New York Review of Books

Questions to Ask of Every Review

Questions such as these will be on the quizzes and in class discussions.

  1   What is the title?

  2   Who is the author (check the Table of Contents page…and maybe Google™)? 

  3   How is the bibliographical information organized? 

[b] Holes (in the argument) RF

  4   How is the essay divided? 

  5   How does the essay begin? 

  6   What is the end of the beginning? 

  7   How does the text end? 

  8   What is the beginning of the end? 

  9   At what level is the essay written?  Who is the audience? 

10   What kind of essay strategies does the author use? 

11   What is the rhetorical role of illustrations in the text?

[c] Step-by-step RF

Attendance Policy 2017 (Spring)

On this date in Round and Square History
21 January 2016—China's Lunar Calendar 2016 01-21
21 January 2015—Round and Square Syllabus 2015
21 January 2015—China's Lunar Calendar 2015 01-21
21 January 2014—China's Lunar Calendar 2014 01-21
21 January 2013—Channeling Liam: Book Weights
21 January 2012—Prairie Ethnography: The Thousand Ask Question (c)

[a] Standing at attendance RF

Class Attendance, Class Participation
and Computer Use Policy

All Classes

Spring 2017

Robert André LaFleur                                                             Office Hours:

Morse Ingersoll 111                                                                 Monday         12:05-12:30
363-2005                                                                                                             1:30-2:00

lafleur@beloit.edu                                                                   Wednesday    12:05-1:35

A specter is haunting Beloit College—the specter of missed classes, half-empty classrooms, and disjointed learning. I have tolerated these patterns of vacuity in the past, but it has reached a point in which missed classes affect both the students who are absent and more punctual class members (who have to hear explanations for material and key points more than once). It also detracts from the pedagogical goals of not only our little course of study, but liberal education in general. 

From here on, attendance is absolutely required.

[b] Late RF

I will expect regular attendance and participation in class, and anything short of that will result in significant penalties. I will take attendance during every class session, and students will be expected to be on time and respectful of the length of breaks. While this may seem draconian, it is simply meant as a way to create a positive learning environment.

Class Attendance
You are expected to attend every class session during the term. Period. This is not a policy that “allows” one or two (or three) “misses.” Short of significant illness, or a major—catastrophic—event, you must be in class. 

Class will begin promptly at the top of the hour, and there will be a short quiz at that time.  All quizzes will be collected no later than fifteen minutes after the hour. Be in class on time and use your fifteen minutes for the quiz.

Please note (the following information is new):
Class attendance and participation is expected. 
More than four hours missed classes will result in the loss of a letter grade for the course.
Ten or more hours of missed class will result in an F grade for the course.

 ***  ***

Class time will cover significant issues that go beyond the foundation of materials you have been assigned. Much of this material will be on the quizzes and the exams. 

Occasionally, it will happen that you are not able to be in class, no matter what. These occasions should be rare, occurring for most students once or twice every third semester, and only a handful of times during an entire college education (I am not kidding).

Attendance matters.

[c] Portal RF

When absences do happen, send me an e-mail message letting me know. Please note the wording. Do not ask me for “permission.”  Do not plead for “leniency.” I prefer to deal with these matters the way members of any civil society would—with a sense of decorum and mutual respect. That is ultimately how I will evaluate your attendance. It is really quite simple to tell the difference between not being able to pry oneself away from Madden NFL 25® and experiencing an illness or loss. Don’t be too “personal” in your e-mail messages. I don’t want to pry, and I don’t need explanations (or, worse yet, excuses).  Just let me know the situation.

Class Participation
By “participation,” I mean being fully engaged in the lecture or discussion. This may or may not include active voicing of opinions or interpretations. In short, I do not belong to the school of thought that equates “talking” with participation and “silence” with lack of engagement. It is easy enough, after twenty years of teaching, to see the exceptions. What I seek is solid preparation, engagement with the subject under discussion, and (eventually) evidence in your writing that these things have come together.

I expect you to listen to my (and your peers’) comments, and to add your interpretations whenever you feel compelled to do so. The best advice is for each student to push her or his “comfort zone” a little. If you are inclined to speak often, pull back (a little) and listen. If you rarely speak, push yourself to do so.

[d] Gathering RF

You need to have the required books with you for class discussion. In cases for which reserve materials have been necessary, you need at least a series of notes to which you can refer during our discussions. Reading books on reserve (or leaving it to the last minute) is never a valid reason for being unprepared.

After an initial “getting acquainted” process, I will start calling on people. This will never be punitive, and will only occasionally create (unwittingly) the kind of “I-don’t-know/deer-in-the-headlights” situation that makes everyone uncomfortable…for about ten seconds. I plan to get people talking about the materials with a minimum of fuss and worry—and will explain the process once the course gets underway.

The most important part of the “participation” expectation is note taking. I want you to explore various note-taking skills as part of your expanding liberal arts education. You will more than occasionally hear me say “write that down.” That is for emphasis. I expect all students to develop note-taking strategies so that they have useful materials for further analysis when writing papers or studying for exams.

Laptops and Classroom Computers
There will be no use of laptop or classroom computers during class time. I realize that taking notes on computers can be a useful practice, but I would like to emphasize a number of other note-taking strategies in our class. Part of a liberal education lies in pushing one’s boundaries. Experiment with various note-taking strategies. The only possible exception to this policy will be for clearly stated (mostly medical) needs.

Keep your laptop in your bag during class.

[e] Connected RF

You may do a quick check of e-mail and social media during break if you wish, but you must complete your work before class resumes (with time to spare).

Occasionally during class something will come up that might benefit from a quick on-line search. In those cases (these seem to occur a handful of times during the term), I may give permission for people to do a quick in-class check.  Such times are the exception, not the rule. For the most part, we will be engaged in a distant intellectual world of books and paper. It will be a healthy contrast to our “connected” worlds.

I shouldn’t even have to say it, but turn off your phones…and everything else.

I fully realize that this is a great deal of legalistic material to handle at once. A single, sensible thread runs through all of it, though—a learning community that is engaged in examining old questions and pondering the new. Or, as Confucius was said to have said:

溫故而知新可以為師矣

Acquire new knowledge while pondering the old, 

and you may become a teacher of others

[f] Teaching RF

Late Assignment Policy Spring 2017

On this date on Round and Square's History 

20 January 2016—China's Lunar Calendar 2016 01-20
20 January 2015—New York Review of Books Syllabus

20 January 2015—China's Lunar Calendar 2015 01-20

20 January 2014—China's Lunar Calendar 2014 01-20

20 January 2013—Channeling Liam: The Right Pen

20 January 2012—The "Thousand Ask" Question (c)

20 January 2011—Goofus and Gallant: Resource Center

[a] Early RF

Late Assignment Policy

All Classes

Spring 2017

Robert André LaFleur                                                             Office Hours:

Morse Ingersoll 111                                                                 Monday         12:05-12:30
363-2005                                                                                                             1:30-2:00

lafleur@beloit.edu                                                                   Wednesday    12:05-1:35

                                                                                   …or by appointment

[b] Late RF

All assignments for this course must be turned in by the due date (and time), or there will be a penalty. In order to be fair to students who have turned in work on time, yet taking into account the reality that everyone gets overwhelmed occasionally, I have created a late assignment policy that is meant to be fair to all concerned. 

Please note the following:

Weekly Quizzes 

Quizzes must be taken at the beginning of each class session. They will be collected fifteen minutes after the beginning of class.

If a student comes to class “late” (and is not chronically late), it will be possible to make the best of the quiz during the ten-minute class break. This should be rare.

Quizzes not completed by the end of the class session receive no credit.

Assignments Due During the Semester (Abstracts, Papers, Short Exams) 

Assignments are due in my office by the time posted on the syllabus. If you turn them in on time, I will return them to you within ten days—and often much sooner than that.

[c] Markers RF

If assignments are up to forty-eight hours late, there will be a two-point penalty* (an “88” on a paper will become an “86”, and an “8” on a short assignment will become a “7.8”). In short, if you have left things until the last minute, and cannot print your paper on time, you will have to accept a small penalty. Just chalk it up to experience and make sure that your planning is better next time. There will be absolutely no exceptions to this penalty. It is meant to provide a wake-up call (with stakes that are not too great) for those who occasionally leave things to the last minute.

If assignments are between two days and one week late, there will be a five-point penalty*—no exceptions (an “88” on a paper will become an “83” and an “8” on a ten-point short-assignment will become a “7.5”).

If assignments are over a week late, there will be a one-time ten-point penalty (an “88” will become a “78” and an “8” on a short assignment will become a “7”). These assignments will be accepted (with the ten-point penalty) for three weeks after the due date. There will be no credit after that date. 

Assignments turned in after the deadline will be graded when time permits. On-time assignments will always be given priority.

*The full version is that they are (2.0/0.2), (5.0/0.5), and 10.0/0.10) penalties, depending on the assignment. 

[d] Blooming RF

Midterm Assessment

Students who have done little written work by the beginning of ninth week (right after break) will need to drop the class. It will not be possible to continue if there have been absences and papers have not been turned in. I will send academic warnings so that students know where they stand, but there will be little chance of passing if the first two assignments have been missed. Do not let things get to that point—if you find yourself falling behind, please contact me. We will discuss it (lafleur@beloit.edu).

End of the Term
Students who have attended class regularly and have kept up with most assignments—but have had a legitimate reason—according to the Dean of Students office—must get incomplete contracts from the registrar and fill them out for my signature by class time on the last day of classes (Wednesday, May 3) or they will receive failing grades. 

I expect all work to be turned in on time. The spirit of the late assignment policy is simply to acknowledge that sometimes everyone (even professors) falls behind. It is unacceptable to be late with numerous assignments. 

This is a course in which weekly work is fundamentally important, and late assignments week-after-week will very seriously affect your grade. Assignments are due when the syllabus states that they are due.

Please respect these deadlines—for both of our sakes!

[e] Done! RF