Core 1 - The Contemporary Situation - Term 091

Core 1 is a study of the Crises, Challenges and Celebrations of Post WWII America, emphasizing how one's [your] Character, Values and Spirituality have been shaped by Gender, Race, Class and Place.

Core 1 Faculty

Prof. Fred Berger - Communications
Prof. Sally Berger - Communications
Prof. Brian Capouch - Computer Science
Dr. Charles M. Kerlin - English (Director Core 1)
Prof. Teresa Massoels - Marketing and Management
Dr. Jerry McKim - Education
Dr. Chad Pulver - Psychology
Prof. Heidi Rahe - Communications
Dr. Tom Ryan - Education
Dr. Mark Seely - Psychology
Dr. Jody Taylor-Watkins - Anthropology
Dr. Wm. White - History
Dr. Paul Yuckman - Core

Guest Lecturers

Dr. Jennifer Barce
Dr. Varon Cantrell
Fr. John Dear
Prof. Maia Hawthorne
Fr. Jeffrey Kirch
Mr. Nick Schafer
Bro. Rob Reuter
Prof. Bonnie Zimmer

Core 1 Books and Films

This Boy's Life, Tobias Wolfe
Film: "Crash"
The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien
Shoot An Iraqi, Wafaa Bilal and Kari Lydersen
An American Childhood, Annie Dillard
Film: "Into The Wild"
Dreams from My Father, Barack Obama
The Everyday Writer, Andrea Lunsford Connors
Syllabus readings

Collegial Agreements and Expectations

Writing

You will do a timed writing sample in one of your first writing classes. A second sample is scheduled to be done in the 11/12 lecture period. Both papers should be a comparison/ contrast essay on a topic the Core 1 faculty thinks appropriate.
You will be assigned the following types of papers: memoir narratives, comparison and contrast papers, and summaries of texts or films etc. Each of these assignments will be graded with a rubric prepared by the Core 1 faculty. Papers in other formats may be assigned, but the Core 1 faculty agrees that these three types will make up the types of writing exercises that you will all be assigned.
After completing the essay assignments you will be able to

express ideas coherently and concisely
use thesis statements or other appropriate organizational models to argue, compare and contrast, and summarize in grammatically correct papers
draft and redraft your papers. Good writing is rewriting and Core 1 intends to give you the opportunity to continue to evaluate and improve your writing

All graded assignments will be critiqued, when possible, in rough draft form. Core 1 faculty will use peer review critiquing when appropriate.
At the end of Core 1 you will be able to identify and correct common grammatical mistakes in your work. Core 1 will place special emphasis on the "dirty 5"

sentence fragments and run on sentences
subject/verb agreement
homonym confusion
possessives
avoidance of passive voice.

The Everyday Writer is the handbook for Core 1 and it will be utilized to aid you in the achievement of these objectives.

Grading and Expectations

In Core 1 you will prepare a portfolio of your work which an instructor may ask to see at any time.
Core 1 students will demonstrate their understanding of assigned readings and lectures. We expect you to read the assigned texts; attend lectures; and actively participate in your discussion sections.
Three exams will be given during the semester. Exams will include an essay component.
In Core 1 you will develop your oral communication and note taking skills in lecture and discussion and will give one oral presentation to the class.
Core 1 students and faculty are expected to respect the ideas of others.
Core 1 students will pledge to honor the Saint Joseph's College’s Academic Honesty Policy, with no tolerance for plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty on assignments, tests, or quizzes. See page 54-55 of the 2009-10 Academic Catalog for a full description of the College's Academic Honesty policy and how it is determined and enforced."

Other requirements may form part of each Core 1 student's grade at the discretion of the section instructor. But overall, the learning outcomes above are the ones Core I instructors can be sure have been taken into consideration in recording your final grades.

Lecture and Reading Schedule

Unit One - RESTLESSNESS
Week	Date	Lecture	Readings
I. In Individuals
Week One	8/25	Lecture 1: How Core 1 Challenges Your Identity Dr. Ryan	None
Week One	8/27	Lecture 2: Using the Writing Period - Memoir Writing Dr. Kerlin	This Boy's Life pgs. 1 - 91 Syllabus - Theme For English B, p. 1
Week Two	9/1	Lecture 1: How We Become Who We Are Dr. Pulver	This Boy's Life pgs. 91 - 178
	9/3	Lecture 2: How Our Thesis Is Developed In Our Readings Prof. Heidi Rahe	This Boy's Life pgs. 178 - 288
	9/8	Lecture 1: Poking around in Debris": Looking at Oates's "Detroit House of Corrections Prof. Hawthorne	Syllabus - The Detroit House of Corrections pp. 2-12
Week Three	9/10	Lecture 2: Moving at the Speed of Life: Colliding Issues and Images in the Film "Crash" TBA	Syllabus - The Detroit House of Corrections continued "Crash" review by Carina Chocano pgs.13-16
Week Three	9/13	Special Sunday evening film presentation: "Crash"
II. In Society
Week Four	9/15	Lecture 1: Why "Crash"? America's Multicultural Problems TBA	Online: "Crash" is a White Supremicist Movie! The Male Crash Test - A Film Analysis
Week Four	9/17	Lecture 2 : No lecture	Syllabus - Online - "Crash" readings continued.
III. Around the World – War and Peace: Choices and Consequences
Week Five	9/22	Lecture 1: War in Film Prof. Sally Berger	The Things They Carried pgs. 1 – 72 (Things –Friends)
Week Five	9/24	Lecture 2: Tim O'Brien's, "The Things They Carried" Dr. Kerlin	The Things They Carried pgs. 73– 137 (How To Tell –Church)
Week Six	9/29	Lecture 1: After WWII: Vietnam and Iraq Dr. White	The Things They Carried pgs. 137 – 205 (The Man I Killed – Field Trip)
Week Six	10/2	Lecture 2: Art Institute trip introduction Prof. Zimmer	The Things They Carried pgs. 215 – 273 (Ghost Soldiers – Lives of the Dead)
Week Seven	10/6	Lecture 1: Trip to the Art Institute of Chicago	Shoot An Iraqi pgs. xi - 58
Week Seven	10/8	Lecture 2: Make Peace Not War Fr. John Dear	Shoot An Iraqi pgs. 59 - 127
Week Eight	10/12	Lecture 1: Shoot An Iraqi – Book centered Dr. Seely	Shoot An Iraqi pgs. 128-146
Week Eight	10/14	Lecture 2: Transition lecture: A Christian Humanist's View of Equality Br. Rob Reuter	Shoot An Iraqi pgs. 146-177
MIDTERM
Unit Two - RECONCILLIATION
Week	Date	Lecture	Readings
IV. Fulfilling the American Dream: Equality, Freedom, Community
Week Nine	10/20	Lecture 1: Equality for All? Dr. Jody Taylor-Watkins	Syllabus – Equality section pp. 17-35 Online: Integration at the Top
Week Nine	10/22	Lecture 2: Privilege and Prejudice in An American Childhood Dr. Yuckman	An American Childhood Prologue – 69
Week Ten	10/27	Lecture 1: I Just Wanted To Tell You something Without You Saying, I Know: Annie's Mother Professor Massoels	An American Childhood pgs. 70 – 135
Week Ten	10/29	Lecture 2: Being Handed Your Own Life Dr. Barce	An American Childhood pgs. 135-199
Week Eleven	11/3	Lecture 1: Transcendentalism and The Idea Of America Dr. Kerlin	An American Childhood pgs. 200-255
	11/5	Lecture 2: Into the Wild: American Individualism and the Search for Self TBA	Syllabus - "Into The Wild" reviews and analyses. pgs. 36-46 Online: Memorable Quotes for Into The Wild
	11/8	Special Sunday evening film presentation: "Into The Wild"
Week Twelve	11/10	Lecture 1: Making Choices: Christopher McCandless's Pursuit of Freedom Prof. Fred Berger	Syllabus - Readings from Walden pgs. 47-60
Week Twelve	11/12	Lecture 2: Writing Sample Done In lecture
Week Thirteen	11/17	Lecture 1: The American Dream Today??? Prof. Capouch	Syllabus - American Dream section pgs. 61-79
Week Thirteen	11/19	Lecture 2: Any Boy Or Girl Can Grow Up to be President: What Obama's Achievement Means To America Dr. Cantrell	Dreams from My Father pgs. Intro – 91
Week Fourteen	12/1	Lecture 1: Achievement Through Family Dr. McKim	Dreams from My Father pgs. 92 – 163, 187 - 206
Week Fourteen	12/3	Lecture 2: Achievement Through Service Nick Schafer	Dreams from My Father pgs. 223 – 295, 299 – 323
Week Fifteen	12/8	Lecture 1: Achievement Through Community Fr. Jeffrey Kirch	Dreams from My Father pgs. 324 – 345, 367 – 391
Week Fifteen	12/10	Lecture 2 TBA	Dreams from My Father + finish up pgs. 392 – 442

Core 1 - The Contemporary Situation - Term 091

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