Week of November 3rd-7th

Remember that Monday, November 3rd, we do not have class.

On Wednesday, November 5th, class meets in Innovation Hall, Room 327. By then, you should have identified two texts that you will be comparing/contrasting for Essay #3. Come to class with copies of those texts, a paragraph that describes how you intend to approach the third essay (whether you agree or disagree and with what main argument) and be prepared to start research for your other two sources.

For Friday, November 7th, please come into class with an annotated bibliography, for each of your sources. Also, please read “The Asian Invasion (of Multiculturalism) in Hollywood (pp 543-565) in Common Culture and be prepared to discuss in class (or else be prepared to be tested on the material).

Week of October 27th – 31st

Ok, folks, don’t forget, Essay # 2 is DUE on Monday, October 27th. Please have read the following assignment for discussion in class:

• “Reality Bytes: Eight Myths About Video Games Debunked”
  
• “Video Games: A Cause of Violence and Aggression”

You should always be sure to print out the readings and bring them to class to refer to during conversations and any in-class writing responses you might be asked to do.

For Wednesday, October 29th, please read: Cowlishaw, Brian. “Playing War: The Emerging Trend of Real Virtual Combat in Currrent Video Games” (385-398). Common Culture Reader.

For this assignment, you have one of two choices for a response, as listed below. CHOOSE ONE and respond to any set of questions listed under each choice:

CHOICE ONE: Play a video game (either one you rent, one you or a friend already have, or go to a video game outlet), play it for a while, and then discuss, in your blog response how it reflects issues of gender, class, ethnicity, or culture.

Below are sets of questions — choose ONE set to respond to:

• If you chose a game with people in it, think about the following: consider the roles: were the people in the game baseball players, boxers, soldiers, etc.? What about ethnicities? What ethnicities did you identify? Who seems to have what role? – what color or gender, for example, are the “bad guys”?
  Who is the hero of the game? What did these people look like? – fat, skinny, muscular, tall, short . . . and what roles did each play? And how does any of this reflect popular or contemporary ideas around race, class, and/or gender?
• What was the goal of the game? To kill all your enemies? To get the gold? To win the race? What obstacles did you have to overcome in order to move from level to level or to win the game? How might any of this reflect contemporary culture (our ideas about success, what it takes to win, the “American” story or ideal, etc.)? In what ways was the game NOT like life?
• In what ways was the game totally fantasy-like or had elements that were not at all realistic of modern society? Perhaps these elements were of a past that no longer exist. And if so, how might that reflect a particular set of ideas in today’s culture; and if so, what?

CHOICE TWO: Answer any one set of the following questions:

• According to Cowlishaw, what is the relationship between realistic war games and first-person shooter (FPS) games? In what ways are they similar and/or different? Why do you think the author takes the time to discuss the differences between real and virtual experiences? What relevance does his discussion about virtual vs. real life experiences have on popular culture?
• Cowlishaw argues that video war games seek to mimic the “cinematic” experience of war. Why do you think video game producers do this? What does this suggest about popular culture?
• There has been a lot of debate around whether violent video games negatively influence children and young adults. How do you feel about this? Make an argument either way — and be sure to support your argument with logic and examples.

For Friday, October 31st, please read: “Borg Journalism” (pp 407-418) in Common Culture and be prepared to discuss in class.

Monday, November 3rd: NO CLASS / check blog for assignment for Wednesday, Nov. 5th.

Readings & Assignments for October 17th – 27th

For Friday, October 17th, you should be coming to class with your revised annotated bibliography and three quotes from each reading that you believe will be useful to your argument.

Essay # 2 Drafts are due on Monday, October 20th IN CLASS! Please see Essay # 2 page (you can also click on link at top of this blog page) for details. You must bring in three copies of your draft to class on Monday.

For Wednesday, October 22nd, come to class with comments for peers on drafts; though you will discuss your thoughts with your peers, you need to have several thoughtful responses written on each draft. Rather than meeting in Innovation Hall, we will meet in our regular classroom.

For Friday, October 24th, please read the following:

• “Reality Bytes: Eight Myths About Video Games Debunked”
  
• “Video Games: A Cause of Violence and Aggression”

Be prepared to discuss (and even write about) these readings in class. You should always be sure to print out the readings and bring them to class to refer to during conversations and any in-class writing responses you might be asked to do.

FINAL ESSAYS DUE ON Monday, October 27th!

For week of October 13th – 17th

For Wednesday, October 15th, please come into class with an annotated bibliography for Essay #2.

An annotated bibliography is an alphabetical list of resources. Each entry includes the standard bibliographic (works cited) citation – author, title, publisher, etc. – found in any bibliography, plus a concise (about a paragraph or two) description of the resource and some comment on its value or relevance to your argument.

An annotation is generally more than just a summary of a reference. Rather, each annotation should describes and analyze that specific resource. Points to consider when making your analysis are:

• content of the resource
• usefulness and/or scope of the resource
• limitations of the resource
• reliability and/or credentials of the author(s)
• intended audience
• significant or special features of the work
• your reaction to the resource
• how it will help support your argument

Week of October 6-10

For Monday, October 6th: Read Intro to Chapter on Technology, “Breaking Down Borders” and “Cyberhood vs. Neighborhood” (pp 337-351) in Common Culture. Respond to any one set of questions in “Examining the Text” at the back of one of the two chapters (here on blog – responses must be posted by 7 a.m.); come in prepared to discuss a question from the other chapter.

For Wednesday, October 8th: Meet in Innovation Hall, Room 327; bring in a paragraph that describes your argument in response to one of the two texts we discussed last week, as well as your intended approach for your next essay. Also, come prepared to begin your research for Essay # 2 (we will begin research in class).

For Friday, October 10th: Locate and bring in one scholarly article or data set that supports your essay argument (and be prepared to discuss how and why).