"TO BOLDLY GO: THE SCIENCE
AND FICTION OF SPACE TRAVEL, TIME TRAVEL, AND ALIENS"
FIRST YEAR SEMINAR 189F
SPRING 2004
Plenary: MWF 9:40-10:40 Bewkes 232
Seminar: Th 2:20-3:50 Bewkes 232
|
Instructor: Dr.
Daniel W. Koon |
Mentor:
Andrew Jones Office/Home:
Whitman 424 Phone:
x6380 Email: akjone02@stlawu.edu Office
Hours: Tues 3:00-5:00, Wed/Fri 2:30-5:00, Thurs in seminar, other hours by appointment |
This
electronic document (See URL at the bottom of this page) is the official
syllabus of this course. It will be updated as the course proceeds. Please
bookmark this page and check back frequently.
OFFICIAL
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Is the shortest path between two galaxies always a straight line? Is time a
one-way street with a fixed speed limit? Will we ever find evidence of
extraterrestrial intelligence, or have they already found us? People have
fantasized for centuries about trips across galaxies and through time. But will
mankind -- or other, alien civilizations -- ever escape the limits of the here
and now? In this course, we will explore speculations about time, space, and
the development of intelligence in both science and science fiction. Students
will not only prepare a semester-long research project culminating in a paper to
be shared with the rest of the class, but will also lead class in formally
presenting their research topic and one or more works of fiction. No particular
expertise in either science fiction literature or in the natural sciences is
required, just a commitment to hard work and an open-minded sense of curiosity
and wonder at the cosmos.
MORE
ABOUT THIS COURSE
This course is divided into three parts: space travel, time travel, and
extraterrestrials. In addition to a semester-long research project, you will
write a piece of science fiction related to this topic, and complete other,
shorter formal and/or informal bits of writing. You will also give a classroom
presentation - - actually leading the classroom discussion - - on your research
topic sometime in the course of the semester. Finally, you will give another
classroom presentation linked to one of the science fiction stories we will
read as a class. In all, about 1/4 of the semester will be student-taught.
MAJOR ASSSIGNMENTS
RESEARCH
PAPER
The major focus of this course is a final paper, 10-12 pages double-spaced, due
at the end of the semester. It will be the result of your research into a
specific research question based on one of the sub-topics in this course.
(See Some
Suggested Thesis Topics for some ideas.) We will spend time throughout the
semester investigating the issues involved with writing a major research paper,
and the various stages of the paper will be collected and graded by the
instructor at specific dates in the semester. (See Major
Deadlines below.) I expect you to become a resident expert in the
specific area in which you will be doing your research. Now, since I also want
all of the students to gain a basic understanding of the technical issues
involved in the three topics of this course -- space travel, time travel,
extraterrestrials -- I will also ask you to share what you've learned by
presenting an overview of the subject during class time in a "technical
presentation": (See below.)
FICTION
STORY
You will also write a short story related to the same theme that you will be
researching for your research paper. Throughout the course of the semester, I
will assign intermediate steps, including development of the science, the plot,
and one or more characters in your story. Unless you prefer not to, your story
may be published online in the SLU SF e-zine, The Android Times.
TECHNICAL PRESENTATION
This course is a seminar. To me, this means that each of the members of this
class --- instructor plus students --- does some outside reading and research,
and then shares the results with the rest of the class. The skills involved in
taking what you have read in several sources, and then synthesizing them into
ideas and arguments is an important skill in crafting your research paper. For
your presentation you will be given about 20 minutes of regular class time.
Your goal is to present the main ideas of your topic and to lead a discussion
among your classmates. Notice that much of the technical content of this course
is the result of scientific speculation. This gives you considerable
flexibility in your presentation, but there must be some grounding of the
discussion in the known, applicable science. You will arrange time to meet with
the instructor twice before the presentation, two weeks and one week before
your in-class presentation. I will also ask you to give me, well before your
presentation, an outline of your presentation with at least one reading for
your classmates to complete before class. If you have any handouts you wish to
share with your classmates, these would be due the class before your
presentation.
FICTION PRESENTATION
You will also be expected to lead class discussion of some piece or pieces of
fiction, preferably from those listed on the spreadsheet Reading
Schedule. How should you structure class? That is a hard question to answer
because there are so many possibilities. What I don't recommend is that
you simply stand in front of class and lecture us for a half hour.
(particularly reading straight from notes) A combination of lecture, directed
discussion, and other activities is probably the best approach, but feel free
to explore your own ideas of presentation. Since this is an important part of
this course and because I'm asking you to do a good share of the teaching, it
is important that we discuss your intentions for class well in advance - - two
weeks before class and then again one week before. Handouts are recommended,
but I don't want you to hand out a page of notes with "all the
answers" to the students without trying to get them to work through the
issues and come up with their own answers first.
PORTFOLIO
Your portfolio is a record of your progress in this course. As such, it needs
to include all drafts of every bit of written work you do during the course,
including the various stages of your research paper including notes, all the
materials associated with the topical projects just mentioned, and in-class
free writes. Part of that portfolio should be the self-assessment, in which you
reflect critically on the work assembled in the portfolio. Your self-assessment
should be a frank honest analysis of your work. It should neither be filled
with platitudes nor excuses for why your grades were what they were. In fact,
grades are completely irrelevant. What is your assessment of your own
work? How did it improve during the semester?
A three-ring binder, or its equivalent, is recommended for assembling your
portfolio through the course of the semester.
OTHER ASSIGNMENTS
Reading journal: One element of your participation grade will be your
notes from the individual readings. I will ask you to keep a notebook with
extensive notes on all of the readings for this course, including films.
I will occasionally ask you to hand it in, so that I can check that you are
indeed keeping up. I will grade on completeness, not on neatness.
Personal
writing mechanics journal: One element of your portfolio grade will be a running inventory of
areas of your own writing that need work. After each assignment, you need to
look through the instructor's, mentor's, or tutor's marks to see what you ought
to add to this list. You should consult this list when proofreading all
subsequent formal assignments. As a writer, it is important to practise the
mechanics of writing, and to be aware of those areas in which you most need
work. If one of these areas is 'homophones', for example, you may find it
useful to compile a list of words that you have difficulty with
("to", "too", "two", or "its" and
"it's", for example) but which the spell-checker refuses to help you
with.
Miscellaneous
writing assignments: Finally,
there will be occasional free-writes and quizzes throughout the semester, as
the need arises. I do not know in advance how many there may be, so I will
simply include the results of these assignments in your 'classroom
participation' grade.
ATTENDANCE
Your active participation in class is important. Of course you need to
attend class. I reserve the right to dock you a half-point final letter grade
for each absence beyond the third, in addition to lowering your class
participation grade. But you also need to arrive in class prepared to
contribute to it. Bring any materials that we are planning to discuss that day
-- texts, handouts, and notes from texts or films. Occasionally I will throw an
unannounced quiz to ensure that you’ve come to class prepared. Such
quizzes will usually be open notes, but not open text. Thus, it really pays to
take good notes. Late arrival in class is also distracting, especially when one
of your colleagues is giving his/her oral presentation. I will count every two
latenesses of five minutes or more as equalling an absence. Please speak to me
beforehand if you anticipate having to miss or be late for or leave early from
any class.
PLAGIARISM
The SLU
Student Handbook
defines plagiarism as "presenting as one's own work of another person --
words, ideas, data, evidence, thoughts, information, organizing principles, or
style of presentation -- without proper attribution." While we will talk
about the dangers of plagiarism in class, it is your responsibility to be aware
of what is and what is not plagiarism, whether intentional or not. Your
instructor has a variety of tools at his disposal for testing written work for
plagiarism, ample experience at detecting it, and a low tolerance for it. If
you have questions about whether you are adequately citing or attributing work,
please ask your mentor or instructor. Please see the material below.
You are responsible for this material.
ACADEMIC RESOURCES,
SPECIAL NEEDS
Students
needing extra help are encouraged to contact the Academic Resources Office
(x5537), or Lorie MacKenzie. The
instructor is willing to accommodate students with special needs, but
appreciates the student coming forward as soon as possible for us to work out
the most appropriate set of accommodations.
GRADING
OF ASSIGNMENTS
|
Research
project |
35% |
|
|
Bibliography & annotated
bibliography |
|
|
|
Notecards & functional outline |
|
|
|
First draft |
|
|
|
Final draft |
|
|
|
Technical
presentation |
15% |
|
|
Preparation |
|
|
|
Presentation |
|
|
|
SF story |
20% |
|
|
Outline & assorted assignments |
|
|
|
First draft |
|
|
|
Final draft |
|
|
|
Fiction
presentation |
15% |
|
|
Preparation |
|
|
|
Presentation |
|
|
|
Quizzes,
exams, classroom participation |
10% |
|
|
Portfolios |
5% |
|
|
Week |
Date |
SF story |
Research paper |
|
1 |
Thu. Jan 22
|
|
Choose research topic |
|
2 |
Fri. Jan 30 |
|
Preliminary research
question |
|
3 |
Fri. Feb 6 |
|
Bibliography: first
draft |
|
4 |
Fri. Feb 13 |
First draft of plot
summary |
|
|
5 |
Fri. Feb 20 |
|
Annotated
bibliography |
|
6 |
Fri. Feb 27 |
First draft of
character sketch |
|
|
7 |
|
|
|
|
8 |
Fri. Mar 12 |
|
Functional outline:
first draft |
|
9 |
Fri. Mar 26 |
"Exposition"
of science |
|
|
10 |
Fri. Apr 2 |
|
Functional outline:
second draft |
|
11 |
Mon. Apr 5 |
First draft of
fiction |
|
|
12 |
Fri. Apr 16 |
|
Research paper: first
draft |
|
13 |
Fri. Apr 23 |
Final draft of
fiction |
|
|
14 |
Fri. Apr 30 |
|
Research paper: final
draft |
Week 14: Friday, April
30: Portfolio & self-assessment.
PLUS.....
One week and two weeks before each classroom presentation: Outline of
presentation, list of prior readings for the classmates, meet with instructor
One class before each classroom presentation: Class handouts for
distribution
READINGS:
(See also Reading
Schedule)
|
REQUIRED |
Callender,
C. & Edney, R. (2001). Introducing
Time. Crows Nest, NSW, Australia: Totem Books. Pickover,
C. A. (1998). The
Science of Aliens. New York: Basic Books. Hacker, D.
(1999). A
Writer’s Reference. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s. |
|
COURSE |
"Sequence",
Carl Jacobi (1972). Selection
from "Slaughterhouse V", Kurt Vonnegut (1969). Bova, B. with Lewis, A. R. (1997) Science
Fiction Writing Series: Space Travel. Cincinnati: Writer’s Digest Books Nahin, P. J. (1997). Science
Fiction Writing Series: Time Travel. Cincinnati: Writer’s Digest Books |
|
ONLINE |
Excerpts from A Voyage
To The Moon,
Cyrano de Bergerac (1657), plus Act 3, Scene 11 of
“Cyrano de Bergerac”, Rostand (1898). "Fire
Watch",
Connie Willis (1982). "Bad
Timing",
Molly Brown (1991). |
|
FILMS AND |
Minority
Report, La
Jetée, NOVA: Time Travel (1999), The Time Machine (2002), Time
and Punishment (Simpsons episode), Donnie Darko (2001). Alien,
Hunt for
Alien Worlds (1997), Kidnapped by
UFO's (1997), Twilight Zone: To Serve Man
(1962) |
LINKS AND OTHER RESOURCES:
|
ONLINE |
SF & Fantasy Books Online Guaicán Literario (Cuban SF
in Spanish) Amateur SF
sites “Agent to the Stars” (John
Scalzi) -- a shareware novel The Android Times (SLU student SF) |
|
LISTS: |
Definitions of SF, More
definitions |
|
OTHER |
APAStyle.org. Citing electronic references, FAQs Ohio State on APA
citation guide The Planetary Society Online
Writing Laboratories ("OWLs") 60 Minutes
transcript: “The Rumor
Mill” (1998). Orson Scott Card's homepage: Includes "Uncle Orson's
Writing Class" |
|
PUBLICATIONS:
|
New Scientist: QM articles.
|
|
SLU
LIBRARIES: |
ODY books:
Search under Time, Space and time, Robots in literature, time travel in
literature, extraterrestrial, Life on other planets, Human-alien encounters,
Science Fiction English History & Criticism, Science Fiction American
History & Criticism, etc. Databases:
Reader’s
Guide Abstracts, Periodical
Abstracts, MLA
Abstracts, General
Science Abstracts PN3448.S45
B63 1990: "Science-Fiction:
the early years". PN3433.5
.B87 1992: Reference guide to science fiction, fantasy & horror. PN3433.8
.A52 1995: Anatomy of wonder: critical guide to science fiction. PN3435
.E53 1997: The Encyclopedia of fantasy. QB209 .E52
1994: Encyclopedia of time. |
|
SPACE TRAVEL Warpdrive (Alcubierre) Manned travel to Mars Permanent base on the Moon |
TIME TRAVEL Relativistic (1-way) time travel Chronology protection conjecture |
EXTRATERRESTRIALS SETI Theory of panspermia Biblical UFOs & ETs Psychology of UFO abductees |
CALENDAR:
(Note: This
part of the syllabus will be filled in more fully once research topics are
assigned.)
Monday, Jan. 19
Introduction
to the course
Discussion
of possible research topics
Wednesday, Jan. 21
Library
Orientation: ODY “B.I. room” (Turn
left as you enter ODY and keep going. It’s a computer lab on the right.)
Read
Hacker, Sections R1 & R2 before class -- “Conducting Research” and “Evaluating Sources”
Thursday, Jan. 22 LAB: Finding initial references for research
topics, assessing sources
Class
meets in Science Library
60
Minutes tape: “The Rumor Mill” (1998).
RESEARCH TOPIC DUE AT END
OF CLASS
Friday, Jan. 23
Excerpts from A
Voyage To The Moon,
Cyrano de Bergerac (1657), plus Act 3, Scene 11 of “Cyrano de Bergerac”,
Rostand (1898)..
The Travels and surprising
adventures of Baron Munchausen: Ch.
6
, Ch.
18
(1785).
“Space Travel”, Bova, Ch. 7:
“The Moon” (Course Packet, pp. 99-117).
Monday, Jan. 26
Guest
lecture: Steven G. Horwitz -- Progressive Rock and SF: Rush's 2112 (lyrics: T:/Koon/Stories/2112.doc)
Horwitz,
S. G.: "Rand,
Rush, and Detotalizing the Utopianism of Progressive Rock" (Journal of Ayn Rand Studies)
Wednesday, Jan. 28
From the Earth to the Moon, Ch. 1, 2, 3: Jules Verne (1865).
“Space Travel”, Bova, Ch. 1
“Dreams into Reality (Course Packet, pp. 4-8).
Kinematics,
conversions and “gee forces”
Thursday, Jan. 29 LAB: Crafting a thesis
question; Citations
The Good Thesis (Massey, N.Z. OWLL)
Handout
on APA citation style, Hacker, section A1b: pp. 368-74.
Friday, Jan. 30
Guest
lecture: Aileen A. O’Donoghue -- Our place in the cosmos
Handout
-- “Miscellaneous Space Travel Background Information” (T:/Koon/Readings/Nearby stars and unit
conversions.doc)
Browse:
“An
Atlas of the Universe”
Space art gallery, Hubble telescope’s greatest
hits: 2003 and other years
“Nightfall” by Isaac Asimov, for anybody
who’s curious
See
also Aileen O’Donoghue’s Powerpoint from class (T:/Koon/etc.)
PRELIMINARY RESEARCH QUESTION DUE
SPACE TRAVEL:
Monday, Feb. 2
Continue
discussion of kinematics
The First Men on the Moon,
APA
Style sheet
(18 pages) (Nova Southeastern Univ.)
APA
Style sheet
(14 pages) (Univ. of Baltimore)
Wednesday, Feb. 4
“An Atlas of the
Universe”
Bova
Ch. 10: “The Starrs”, Ch. 12: “The Universe”
Thursday, Feb. 5 LAB: Notetaking; Plagiarism
Read
Hacker R3, Bring Hacker with you
Bring
to class notes to H. G. Wells, notes to one of your research works
Nuñez
and Glass: Any readings due for Monday?
Taking
notes
and Avoiding
plagiarism:
The Purdue
OWL
Friday, Feb. 6
Generations
starships:
Interstellar travel: a family affair?, National Geographic News, 2/20/2002
(T:\Koon\FYS\Readings\Generation)
Sex and society aboard the first
starships,
Space. com (T:\Koon\FYS\Readings\Generation 2)
Morse
and Hilts: Any readings due for Wednesday?
BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE. 2+ books, 2+
journals/magazines, 2+ online resources for a total of 8+ sources. All entries
must be in APA style!
Weekend -- Why not visit Winterlude in Ottawa, or Canton’s Winterfest?
Monday, Feb. 9
Ramscoop -- Nuñez
“Sequence” --
Glass (Carl Jacobi, 1972. Course packet)
Read
Bova, pp. 207-208 before class.
Read
Encyclopedia of Astrobiology, Astronomy, and Spaceflight: Interstellar
ramjet
(Also on T: drive under \readings\ramjet.doc) before class
Johnson:
Any readings due for Friday?
Wednesday, Feb. 11
Base on the Moon -- Morse
“Sky Lift” --
Hilts (Heinlein, 1953. course packet)
Review
Bova, Ch. 7 “The Moon” before class.
Read
CNN: “Bush
unveils vision for moon and beyond” (also on T: drive under
\readings\Bush and mars.doc) before class.
Thursday, Feb. 12 LAB: Evening viewing of film
“Contact” instead of regular Lab.
Friday, Feb. 13
Solar sails -- Johnson
Read
“The Science” and “The Plan” from http://solarsail.org/
"The
Wind From the Sun", Arthur C. Clarke (1963) (Comic book version: Olivier Boisard (1985))
SF PLOT SUMMARY DUE: Length = one page
Monday, Feb. 16
Discuss film: “Contact”, viewing Friday - Sunday, Channel 71, 4pm
& 8pm.
Go
to www.carlsagan.com, click on media below the image of
the solar sail, select “view a 7 minute...movie about Cosmos 1”
Wednesday, Feb. 18
Tachyons / Faster than
light transport [FTL] -- Rodriguez. Read: Bova, pp.
206-7, Wikipedia:
Faster than light
“The propagation of
light in a vacuum” -- Condro
Bring
to class ONE annotated bibliography for feedback
Start
reading "Jabberwocky"
and “All mimsy were the borogoves” (T: drive, under
/Stories/mimsy.doc) for Friday
Start
reading “Star, Bright” (new packet of handouts) for Monday
Thursday, Feb. 19 LAB: Evaluating sources
Friday, Feb. 20
Quantum teleportation --
Cidorowich Read New
Scientist article
Read
“All mimsy were the
borogoves” -- Feather. Plus, read “Jabberwocky” and Appendix
A of 1984
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE (See
in-class handout for details)
Monday, Feb. 23
Continue
with “All mimsy” (T:
drive, or Ch. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9:)
Film “The Time Machine” viewing Friday - Sunday, Channel 77:
4pm, 7pm, 10pm.
Read
“Star, Bright” (“Time
Machines” handout) -- Lomax
A
cool online source you might find interesting: The visual
thesaurus
(Enter a word in the box in the upper left.)
Wednesday, Feb. 25
Wormholes -- Case. Read
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/hawking/strange/html/wormhole.html
Warp drive -- Evans
Thursday, Feb. 26 LAB: Character development & Writing fiction:
the scene as the basic unit
Read
the handout from class from The Science
of Science Fiction Writing by James Gunn
Bring
what you’ve got so far of your character sketch with you to class.
Be
prepared to work on your plot
Shameless
ad for a Klein
bottle mug
Friday, Feb. 27
Manned mission to Mars --
Fuller. Read Bova’s section on Mars,
pp. 148-154.
Read
Infinite Improbability Drive and Bistromathic Drive from “Hitchhiker’s guide (2 selections)” + “"Mail Supremacy" (scroll down for
excerpt)” -- Fessler
SF CHARACTER SKETCH DUE
TIME TRAVEL:
Monday, March 1
Film:
“NOVA: Time Travel”
viewing Friday - Sunday, Channel 61.
Read
Introduction and Chapter 1 of Nahin (“Time Travel” in Course
Packet) Focus on the ideas and criticisms of time travel, not the specific
stories
Read
pp. 3-43 of Callender (“Introducing Time” textbook)
Wednesday, March 3
Antimatter -- Ciesla.
Read Bova, pp. 208-9.
Zero-point energy -- Burr.
Read “Zero Point Energy” and “The Casimir Effect” at Warp
Drive When?
Thursday, March 4 LAB: Crafting arguments: support and evidence
Bring
your thesis statement and outline (so far) to work on in class
Friday, March 5
Read
Callender up to page 88 or thereabouts
Read
Nahin Chapters 2 and 3
Be
prepared to ask questions about Special Relativity, General Relativity, and the
Block Universe (tensed or detensed time)
THESIS STATEMENT AND OUTLINE DUE
Monday, March 8
Argumentation
example -- finding the thesis statement and arguments in an editorial and
letter to The Hill News.
General
Relativity
Wednesday, March 10
Read
“Counter-clock world” --
Remillard
More
on General Relativity, time
Thursday, March 11 LAB: Oral presentation workshop
Friday, March 12
Film: “The Minority Report”, viewing Wednesday and Thursday
on Channel 71. -- Harley
The nature of time
FIRST
DRAFT OF FUNCTIONAL OUTLINE DUE: 2+ pages, double-spaced, in paragraph
form, in which you develop the ideas of your argument. Each paragraph should
describe how you intend to prove one of the major arguments that supports your
thesis. Include, in parentheses within each paragraph, the author[s] you will
cite to support each argument. Be sure to include all prior drafts relevant to
this assignment, starting with your first thesis question, and including all of
the material you handed in last Friday.
Monday, March 22
Discussion
of special vs general relativity, invariance, time cones, physicists’
time machines
In-class
reading of & response to a piece of fiction TBA
Wednesday, March 24
Finish
Callender and Chaps. 1-7 of Nahin.
Read
"Bad Timing" -- Morse
Thursday, March 25 LAB:
Read
“Who’s cribbing?”
& “A brief history of Temporal Express” (“Time
Machines” packet) -- Johnson
Read
"A Sound of Thunder" -- Rodriguez
Friday, March 26
Read "Fire Watch" --
Nuñez
SF SCIENTIFIC ‘EXPOSITION’ DUE
ALIENS:
Monday, March 29
Read
Pickover, Ch. 1 and 2 -- How does the study of aliens inform our understanding
of what it is to be human?
Wednesday, March 31
Film: “Donnie Darko”, viewing Monday through Tuesday, 4pm,
7pm, 10pm on Channel 98.
Read “Take
a choice” by Sakyo
Komatsu.
(Handout from Monday’s class) Biography at amazon.com (scroll down)
Thursday, April 1 LAB:
“Deconstructing
Donnie Darko”: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donnie_Darko, http://donniedarko.com/, http://www.tonystuff.co.uk/darko-spoilers.htm
Friday, April 2
The Drake Equation -- Glass
Explore
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
SETI, the search for
extraterrestrial intelligence -- Hilts
SECOND DRAFT OF FUNCTIONAL OUTLINE DUE
Monday, April 5
Film:
“NOVA: Alien Worlds”,
viewing Friday - Sunday on Channel 77.
Read
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/newworlds/mam-testbed.html
The
search for extrasolar planets -- Lomax
Read
Chapters 3 - 5 of Pickover by Wednesday
If you wish to opt out of having your
fiction included in The Android Times, please contact the instructor by
the end of the week. If I don’t hear from you, I will include your work
in the next issue.
Wednesday, April 7
More
extrasolar links: Discover.com, NASA’s PlanetQuest, Extrasolar.net
Read
Chapters 3 - 5 of Pickover
Panspermia -- Fessler
Read
“Sentinel” -- Fuller
Thursday, April 8 LAB: Peer review
of SF first drafts: Bring a draft, plus a list of your top priorities for peer
feedback
Friday, April 9
Life under extreme
conditions -- Condro
Read
“Dragon’s Egg” --
Evans (Prologue and Technical Appendix: Course Packet, pp. 45-56)
SF FIRST DRAFT DUE
Monday, April 12
Film: “Alien”, viewing Friday - Sunday on Channel 72. -- Burr
Note: “2001: A Space
Odyssey” will show Tuesday - Thursday at 4, 7, and 10pm on Ch. 75 (Tues,
Wednes) and Ch. 77 (Thurs). This is not an assignment. It is for your
entertainment only.
Reading first half of “First
contact” (Course packet)
Wednesday,
April 14
Read
"They're made out of meat" and "Tell them they are all full of shit and they
should fuck off".
--
Case (See http://www.terrybisson.com/ for more stuff by the author.)
Read
“First contact” -- Ciesla (Course
packet)
Thursday, April 15 LAB: Peer
review of Term Paper first drafts:
Bring a version of your first draft of your term
paper, the draft of your science fiction which I handed back today, plus a list
of your top priorities for peer feedback
Plus, review of
various “mechanical” issues of writing (e.g. Commas)
Friday, April 16
Read
“To serve man” -- Cidorowich
(Course packet)
FIRST DRAFT OF RESEARCH PAPER DUE
Monday, April 19
Biblical
UFOs -- Harley
Read
Ezekiel:
Ch. 1. , "Kindergarten"
UFOs, UFOs II, UFOs III, UFOs IV: poetry
by Victor Bruno Henríquez (to be passed
out in class)
Wednesday, April 21
Go
to http://www.rael.org/english/index.html and click “Organisation”
for the History of the group (Please read all the pages, up till the invitation
to join.), or download Rael_History.doc from T: drive.
The Raelians -- Remillard
Continue
discussion of UFO’s
Thursday, April 22 LAB: Introductions
and Conclusions; Teaching evaluations
Friday, April 23
Film:
“NOVA: Abducted by UFOs”,
viewing Wednesday - Thursday on Channel 61.
Me
Human, You Alien: How to Talk to an Extraterrestrial, Jonathan Vos Post
“Bring
in” an alien from the SF literature -- what are its characteristics?
Review
Pickover, Chapter 7: “Communication”
The
psychology of aliens -- Feathers
Monday, April 26 -- Workshop on some
theme of the thesis paper
SF
FINAL DRAFT DUE
Wednesday, April 28
Thursday, April 29 LAB: Prose
polishing
Friday, April 30 -- final class
Review the APA Style section of Hacker,
especially the “in-text citations” section
Bring your term paper in its present
condition. Bring also a list of the “big ideas” of each of your
paragraphs, like the list I worked on in class on Wednesday, or like the page I
stapled onto the end of most of your term paper first drafts.
Monday, May 3 (Exam week)
FINAL DRAFT OF RESEARCH
PAPER DUE
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The final term paper
should be ten pages, counting the Title Page and the Bibliography. Please don’t
include references in your Bibliography which you are not using in the paper.
PORTFOLIO
& SELF-ASSESSMENT DUE
SELECTIONS FROM THE SLU STUDENT HANDBOOK
All students at St. Lawrence University are bound by honor to maintain the highest level of academic integrity. By virtue of membership in the St. Lawrence community, every student accepts the responsibility to know the rules of academic honesty, to abide by them at all times, and to encourage all others to do the same.
Responsibility for avoiding behavior or situations from which academic dishonesty may be inferred rests entirely with the students. Claims of ignorance, unintentional error, and academic or personal pressure are not excuses for academic dishonesty. Students should be sure to learn from faculty what is expected as their own work and how the work of other people should be acknowledged. Instructors are expected to maintain conditions which promote academic honesty.
Instructors have the duty to investigate any instance involving possible academic dishonesty and must present evidence of academic dishonesty to the Academic Honor Council rather than make private arrangements with the student involved. Violations of the St. Lawrence University Code of Academic Honor are administered under the constitution of the Academic Honor Council [See Student Handbook for the Constitution].
Academic Honesty
The primary objective of the University is the promotion of knowledge. This objective can be furthered only if there is strict adherence to scrupulous standards of honesty. At St. Lawrence, all members of the University community have a responsibility to see that standards of honesty and integrity are maintained.
Students who respect academic honesty and who are orderly and meticulous in their treatment of both their own work and the work of others should anticipate no difficulty with cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of academic dishonesty. Borrowing ideas or language from others is acceptable scholarly practice and in many instances actively to be encouraged.
Academic dishonesty generally arises from one of two sources: either a student has knowingly cheated or plagiarized or he/she has been careless or slipshod in discriminating between his/her own work and that of others or in acknowledging sources accurately. These latter difficulties are easily circumvented. Any standard handbook on English usage or term paper writing manual will furnish a methodology as well as appropriate internal reference, endnote, or bibliographical forms (cf., for example, the Harbrace Handbook, A Guide to MLA Documentation, or Writers Inc.).
Academic Honesty
A major objective of the University is the pursuit of knowledge which can be achieved only by strict adherence to standards of honesty. At St. Lawrence, all members of the community have a responsibility to see that these standards are maintained.
Academic Dishonest*
1. It is assumed that all work submitted for credit is done by the student unless the instructor gives specific permission for collaboration.
2. Cheating on examinations and tests consists of knowingly giving or using or attempting to use unauthorized assistance during examinations or tests.
3. Dishonesty in work outside of examinations and tests consists of handing in for credit as original work that which is not original, where originality is required.
The following constitute examples of academic dishonesty:
a) Plagiarism: Presenting as one's own work the work of another person - words, ideas, data, evidence, thoughts, information, organizing principles, or style of presentation-without proper attribution. Plagiarism includes paraphrasing or summarizing without acknowledgment by quotation marks, footnotes, endnotes, or other indices of reference (cf. Joseph F. Trimmer, A Guide to MLA Documentation).
b) Handing in false reports on any experiment.
c) Handing in a book report on a book one has not read.
d) Falsification of attendance records of a laboratory or other class meeting.
e) Supplying information to another student knowing that such information will be used in a dishonest way.
f) Submission of work (papers, journal abstracts, etc.) which has received credit in a previous course to satisfy the requirement(s) of a second course without the knowledge and permission of the instructor of the second course.
Claims of ignorance and academic or personal pressure are unacceptable as excuses for academic dishonesty. Students must learn what constitutes one's own work and how the work of others must be acknowledged.
St. Lawrence students are required to sign the following statement prior to registration for classes:
"I hereby acknowledge that I have read the above document and I understand my responsibility in maintaining the standards of academic honesty at St. Lawrence University."
First-Year colleges provide ideal environments for fostering the complex intellectual and social skills that are at the heart of a liberal education. The First-Year Program (FYP)/ First-Year Seminars (FYS) play a significant part in the development of students' abilities to communicate effectively and to use writing and speaking to help them to become critical readers of a variety of texts.
Improving student abilities in reading, writing, speaking and research requires serious, sustained practice and overt, in-class reflection upon that practice. A critical feature of this sustained practice is that students receive detailed, constructive response to their work from instructors, from peers, and from mentors and/or Writing Center tutors.
Underlying the teaching of communication skills in the FYP
and the FYS is the assumption that these courses are components of a
university-wide, four-year commitment to teaching communication skills across
the undergraduate curriculum.
Though the goals for speaking, writing, and research are discussed in separate sections below, they are related activities. Instruction in these skills is most effective when grounded in a holistic view of communication. Students should be made aware of the differences and similarities between oral and written modes of discourse.
By the end of the FYP/FYS students should demonstrate an increased ability:
a) to develop an oral presentation through a series of drafts, demonstrating substantial conceptual and performative revision.
b) to produce a speech with a clearly defined rhetorical purpose that is appropriately and adequately fulfilled given the audience being addressed.
c) to use informal conversation, in class or out, to facilitate close reading and promote critical thinking.
d) to speak from notes or outline, rather than from a manuscript or in
an impromptu fashion.
By the end of the FYP/FYS, students should demonstrate an increased ability:
a) to develop a piece of writing through a series of drafts, demonstrating substantial revision at both the conceptual and the sentence level.
b) to produce an essay with a clearly defined rhetorical purpose that is appropriately and adequately fulfilled given the audience being addressed.
c) to use informal writing, done in class or out, in journals, reader-response papers, or exploratory essays, to facilitate close reading and promote critical thinking.
d) to produce writing that is characterized by a mature prose style and that conforms to the conventions of standard written English.
By the end of the FYP/FYS, students should be better able to conduct productive, imaginative research. Specifically, they should demonstrate an increased ability:
a) to assess the research requirements of a particular assignment and to meet those requirements by using library collections, electronic databases, and Web-based sources.
b) to be able to choose amongst the sources to determine which are most appropriate for a particular assignment.
c) to assess and represent the complexity of a
particular line of inquiry and to enter responsibly into the conversation about
the issues it raises.
An FYP course will be approved if students:
a) are given diverse and repeated opportunities to write and speak, including the opportunity to write and speak in response to readings, discussions, lectures, films, etc. These responses may occur in class or out, and they may take many forms: freewriting, open or directed journals, graded or ungraded exploratory essays, essay exams, small group discussion, impromptu discussion, oral exams
b) are required to engage in at least three formal, graded writing projects. A "project" requires that students develop a piece of writing over time on the basis of appropriate feedback at a number of stages in the process
c) are required to engage in at least two oral communication projects, one of which undergoes a process of revision. A "project" requires that students develop a speech over time on the basis of appropriate feedback at a number of stages in the process. At least one speech must be extemporaneous, by which we mean that students should deliver a prepared speech from an outline or minimal notes
d) are required to conduct library research and use the sources as an integral part of at least one written and/or oral project
e) are instructed in and held responsible for the ethical use of sources
f) are required to keep all of their written work in a course portfolio, to reflect in writing upon their work, and to submit the completed portfolio to their faculty for review
A First-Year Seminar will be approved if students:
a) are given diverse and repeated opportunities to write and speak, including opportunities to benefit from detailed formative feedback from instructors and peers
b) are asked to assess adequately the research requirements of a particular assignment and to seek out efficiently the means of meeting those requirements
c) are given diverse opportunities to incorporate appropriate illustrative or persuasive detail in oral and written communication
d) are required to complete at least one and no more than two projects comprising some combination of formal and informal oral, written, and research activities that demonstrate a satisfactory grasp of the program's communication goals
e) are instructed in and held responsible for the ethical use of sources
f) are required to assemble all their work in a portfolio that includes a written assessment of that work, and to submit the completed portfolio to their faculty for review
In addition, it is strongly recommended:
1. that students engage in oral and written assignments that address a variety of audiences, ranging from instructors and peers to other imagined or real audiences.
2. that students write and speak for a variety of purposes: to explore, to express, to inform, and to persuade
3. that students be encouraged to respond to texts via creative projects
4. that students engage in a variety of research tasks that encourage critical use of sources
5. that colleges include assignments that require the production and analysis of visual images, so as to improve visual literacy
STATEMENT OF PHILOSOPHY AND GOALS
FOR THE RESIDENTIAL
COMPONENT OF
THE FIRST-YEAR PROGRAM
AT ST. LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY
2001-2002
Residential Philosophy and Goals
First-Year college students face what is for many a difficult transition from high school to college. This transition requires moving from a relatively structured environment to one that offers significant freedom. Research on the transition to college has shown that students are most successful when they build connections to other students, faculty, and the college community. FYP staff and faculty help students to begin to build these connections during orientation when students, faculty and staff meet together for college meetings, discussion of American Voices, and academic advising. In the remainder of the fall semester, students are taking a class with their residential peers. Course material from the FYP class provides a fertile ground for meaningful conversations in the residence hall. Additionally, college faculty and residential staff work together to develop programming in the residence hall that connects to the course and that furthers discussion among students, faculty and residential staff.
A central challenge of a residential college is to assist students in learning to take advantage of personal freedom in ways that do not infringe upon others. Of crucial importance in meeting this challenge is that a college campus is first and foremost an academic community, even while it is also a place to grow psychologically and socially. By the time students graduate, we expect that they will be able to live together in an atmosphere of respect with minimal intervention by university staff and faculty. In order to begin to foster the growth necessary for students to reach this developmental point, the First-Year Program encourages students to reflect upon the effects of their actions on others. We wish to help students recognize that a relativist framework that asserts that all needs are equal is not appropriate given that St. Lawrence is an academic community. We will also work to foster in students a respect for university officials that comes from understanding university rules and policies as reasonable guidelines for living together, without infringing on the rights of others. In cases where students do not believe that rules and guidelines are reasonable, we will work with them to responsibly challenge these policies. Further, we will assist students in understanding that their academic and residential lives can be connected in ways that help them to meet multiple goals, such as developing friendships, becoming better students, and building connections to colleagues who may never become close friends.
The first year of college is the first stage of a four year process in which students take increasing control of their living arrangements. In the First-Year Program, we begin to help them to take responsibility by fostering an understanding of how living and learning can be integrated in ways that foster both academic and social growth.
Statement of Goals:
Faculty, residential staff, and students will work together:
· to promote the integration of the academic and residential experience
· to encourage students to move towards patterns of living together which reflect principles of mutuality and accountability
· to encourage students to understand their rights and responsibilities as individuals residing in living/learning communities. For example, we will work together to develop communities in which each student has enough quiet time to study and sleep enough to succeed as a student by helping residents to understand their rights and responsibilities in relation to quiet hours and courtesy hours.
· to help students make use of residential staff and faculty in exercising their rights and responsibilities while they develop the capacity for self-management
· to identify and confront conflicts before they become
destructive of the living/learning community.