Attendance is mandatory. More than two unexcused absences will result in the lowering of your final grade by a full grade [an A becomes a B]. More than three unexcused absences results in a failing grade. An unexcused absence is an absence for which you do not receive a note from the Health Center or Dean of Student's Office.Class participation is mandatory. Seminars only work if all participants share their own ideas and respond to those of others. Do not take this class unless you are willing to talk in class.
Assignments are due on the dates listed on the Assignment Calendars. No make ups will be allowed and I will accept no late assignments unless you receive an excuse from the Dean's Office. Failure to hand in an assignment on the date on which it is due will result in you receiving a "0" for that assignment.
Use Common Sense: If you are sick, do not come to class and spread your germs. Go to the health center and get [prescription] drugs. If you have a personal or family situtation that requires you to be away from class - go to the Dean's Office and attend to the problem. BUT, if you've simply forgotten to do your homework, COME TO CLASS. The single greatest cause of disasters in first year seminars arise from failure to attend class. It is better to attend unprepared, than to fail to attend.
On occasion I will give you short writing assignments to be handed in at the next class session (e.g., I might ask you to draft a one paragraph thesis statement based on a discussion we've had in class). These assignments will be graded on a pass/fail basis.
You will write four (4) essays in this course. You will participate in a group editing exercise for each paper. You will rewrite each paper after the group editing exercise.Due Dates
paper 1:topic: Using Martial as your only source, describe what pleasure(s) the Romans derived from attending gladiatorial games, and why/how the games provided the pleasure.draft 1: distribute to your editing team (and me) on 9/11 (September 11th)
draft 2: submit to me on 9/18 (September 18th)
paper 2:
draft 1: distribute to your editing team (and me) on 10/2 (October 2nd)draft 2: submit to me on 10/9 (October 9th)
paper 3:
draft 1: distribute to your editing team (and me) on 10/30 (October 30th)draft 2: submit to me on 11/6 (November 6th)
paper 4:
draft 1: distribute to your editing team (and me) on 11/27 (November 27)draft 2: submit to me on 12/4 (December 4)
Grading and Evaluation of Papers
Your papers will be evaluated by members of your editing team and by me. We will each grade your papers for a) the content of your argument and the quality of your prose style and b) the generic form of your paper (typos, page numbers, word count, title, etc).The standards for the content and style analysis of your paper are located on the Paper Content Analysis Page. You are responsible for reading and understanding the contents of this page.
The standards for the generic form of your paper are located on the Paper Form Analysis Page. You are responsible for reading and understanding the contents of this page.
I will grade the first draft of each paper you write with the comments of your editing team in mind (the responsibility for the final evaluation rests with me). I will grade your final draft to see a) how you have responded to these comments and b) whether you have made signficant improvement from the first draft. For each paper you will receive a grade for your first draft and your second draft, and a grade that I will record for the the entire process.
Remember, your first draft must be five pages (1400 - 1600 words) and your second draft must be four pages (1100-1300 words) long.
One of the best ways to learn how to write well is to learn how to edit well. It is often easier for me to identify the kinds of writing problems from which I suffer by observing them in the work of others. The goal of these assignments is to help you improve your own writing by engaging in the exercise of helping your classmates improve their paper drafts.You will be assigned to an editing team. For each paper assignment, you will receive the 1st draft of two other papers in class. You will read each paper and prepare an Editing Report for each of the drafts. At the editing session you will discuss each of the paper drafts and suggest improvements to the papers' authors. At the end of the session you will give a copy of your reports to the author, and a copy to me.
The form you will use for the editing reports is based upon the based on the standards set forth on the Paper Content Analysis Page and the Paper Form Analysis Page. You will be required to suggest a grade for each draft you edit.
The form for the editing reports is set forth on the Editing Report Page. Print it out and xerox copies for each paper you edit.
I will grade your reports based upon the following criteria.
- Thoroughness (complete the form)
- How well you diagnosed problems with the draft (you will be penalized equally for being 'soft' on your friends and 'too hard' on
- How effectively you communicated your criticisms and your appreciation of the paper's good points.
- How thoughtfully you suggested improvements to the draft.
Editing Teams:
|
Team 1 Brooke Beebe Andrew Caraganis Erica Dodd |
Team 2 Scott Duddy Catherine Hinckley Jeffrey Marion |
Team 3 Nathan McConarty Jennifer McGill Benjamin Megrian |
Team 4 Natalie Morgan Helen O'Donnell Caroline Renyi |
Team 5 Joshua Schneider Deanna Shulman Elyssa Tardif |
|
Team 1 Brooke Beebe Elyssa Tardif Jennifer McGill |
Team 2 Andrew Caraganis Deanna Shulman Benjamin Megrian |
Team 3 Erica Dodd Joshua Schneider Natalie Morgan |
Team 4 Catherine Hinckley Caroline Renyi Helen O'Donnell |
Team 5 Jeffrey Marion Nathan McConarty Scott Duddy |
|
Team 1 Brooke Beebe Scott Duddy Nathan McConarty |
Team 2 Helen O'Donnell Elyssa Tardif Andrew Caraganis |
Team 3 Catherine Hinckley Jennifer McGill Caroline Renyi |
Team 4 Erica Dodd Joshua Schneider Natalie Morgan |
Team 5 Jeffrey Marion Benjamin Megrian Deanna Shulman |
|
Team 1 Andrew Caraganis Scott Duddy Jeffrey Marion |
Team 2 Jennifer McGill Natalie Morgan Caroline Renyi |
Team 3 Deanna Shulman Brooke Beebe Erica Dodd |
Team 4 Catherine Hinckley Nathan McConarty Benjamine Megrian |
Team 5 Helen O'Donnell Joshua Schneider Elyssa Tardif |
You will have 2 class sessions devoted to library skills and resources. After each session, in teams, each team will prepare a brief report designed to use the skills you've learned in the library session on topics related to the course. Your reports will be posted on the class web page. You may email me the report (do not use fancy formatting because my email program can't handle it), or on a floppy disc.
- Library Assignment 1:
- Due on Monday, September 25.
- Assignment 1 Description
- Library Assignment 2:
- Due on Friday, Novermber 17
- Assignment 2 Description
You will have 1 class session devoted to html skills. You will need these skills to complete your web assignment. Your html session will be held on Monday, October 23, 2000.
- HTML assignment
- Due on Friday, October 25, 2000.
- Assignment Description
You will give three team presentations on assigned articles and book chapters about gladiators and martyrs. The purpose of your presentation is to inform the seminar about a wider range of scholarship than we'll have time to read this semester. Your presentation should take no longer than 10 minutes. You should explain the author's argument, why and how you think it is helpful for our discussions, why and how you think it needs improvement, and how it responds to other scholars we have read. If the reading provides factual background information you should summarize it and consider making handouts for your classmates (and me). You do not need to write out your presentation (although if you find it easier to read from a prepared text, you should feel free to do so). You do need to hand in a one page outline of your presentation to me. All team members should read all the material to be presented and discuss it. How you actually divide the work of the presentation is up to you. Please come to office hours to discuss the readings if you have any questions or points you wish to clarify before your presentation.
You and four other members of the class will form a team. I won't assign teams, so talk amongst yourselves and form your own groups. At least one member of the team should be a web freak and one should be a rank beginner if not a luddite. Here is how I assess web skills.
Web Assignment Due Dates
- You must identify yourself to me by Friday, October 13, 2000.
- You must submit the topic of your web presentation to me by Friday, October 27, 2000.
- You must submit your plan for your web page to me and have a conference with me by Friday, November 10, 2000.
- You will present your web pages to the class on Monday, December 4, 2000 and Wednesday, December 6, 2000 and Friday, December 8, 2000 (Reading Week).
Web Assignment Topics
I suggest the following topics. You may suggest another to me, but if you wish to do a different topic, you must see me in office hours with a very coherent stragegy of how you will present your topic.
- A virtual tour of existing Roman colosseums (and/or their ruins) around the world. Your page should explain the history of the sites and their significant architectural details. For what was the colosseum used? Did the use change over time. What does an analysis of the space and place of the colosseum tell us about Roman culture and the place of gladiatorial games in it. [you must survey at least three colosseums].
- An analysis of Greco-Roman art depicting gladiatorial combat. [Art is any visual representation from coinage to tombstone to wall paintings to frescos to statues, to anything visible that survives]. What was the iconography of gladiatorial representation? Did it change over time? How pervasive were these representations. What does this tell you about the gladiator as a cultural symbol?
- An analysis of the literary and artistic tradition surrounding an early Christian martyr. How did literary traditions influence and reflect artistic traditions (and vice versa)? Do these traditions respond to or comment on the pagan Roman figure of the gladiator and the tradition of the games?
- A Good Example of What I'm Looking For: Last year, students in my Roman Civilization plans prepared web sites. One of the very best was on the city of Pompeii. The assignment for those students was different from yours, but the standard of excellence I'm looking for is the same. If you want to see a good example of what I think is a great web page, look at The Pompeii page at the Roman Civilization site.
When I grade your web page, I will consider a) the quality of your writing (same standards for form and content as for your papers); b) the thoroughness of your research and presentation; and c) the contribution to and expansion of our knowledge of the topics we've covered in the course.
Web Assignment Plan
When you meet with me on/before Friday, November 10, 2000, you must provide me with an outline of your proposed web site. How many different pages will the site contain. How will you organize the various points you wish to make in your site? How will your organize your team and assign responsibility? What do you need to research and who will do it? Where will you find the information you need? Have a list of deadlines over the next month by which you will complete various steps in the preparation of your page. I've posted an example of what I'm looking for on the Sample Plan page.If you find that you need more direction or guidance from me as you work on your web assignment, see me in office hours. I will meet with each team as often as it needs.
Web Presentations
Each team will present their web project during the last week of class (December 4-8, 2000) [I'll assign the dates the week before]. We will meet in a classroom with a web hookup. Plan to spend 30 (thirty minutes) presenting your page and discussing what you learned in preparing it with your classmates. You may speak from a prepared text, but do not have to. You must hand in an outline of your presentation (two pages) to me on the day you do it.