Women in History and Literature
Why didn’t Queen Elizabeth ever marry? Who is the madwoman in the attic? What was the first nation to grant women the right to vote? What countries around the world are lead by women today? In this class, we'll study the past 500 years through women (real and imagined) that influenced, reflected, questioned, and challenged their times and their places, delving into the subject via history, fiction, poetry, art, film, drama, projects, and relevant trips. From the Renaissance to the cultural revolution; the BBC's Pride and Prejudice to The Joy Luck Club; Jane Austen to Frida Kahlo. Writing will be a major focus, as students will be asked to do research and share their own thoughts and opinions on a regular basis, all the while collecting their writing in a portfolio and building towards a cumulative end-of-the-year project.
Session 1: A real renaissance woman . . . and the man who loved her.
Session 2: When manners aren’t very polite . . .
Session 3: Dark and stormy nights and a madwoman in the attic!
Session 4: Three Daughters of China
Session 5: Where are we now?
Your grade will be calculated as follows:
25% -- Attendance and Participation
25% -- Homework and Classwork
25% -- Quizzes and Essays
25% -- Final Project, Independent Reading Project, and/or Test
- Whenever reading is assigned, you will be required to post a journal/response/reaction on our class blog. I’ll often post a guiding question having to do with the reading, and you’re asked to respond to that AND, if you’re not the first to respond, to also respond to an entry posted by one of your classmates. Journal entries are not summaries, but a way for you to express your thoughts about the reading, as well as communicate questions and ideas to me. Entries should usually be about 350 words long (depending on the length of the reading). Feel free to be creative! Just don’t don’t don’t summarize the chapter! I will respond to your journals online, and I will also frequently print them and return them to you with grammar corrections and ask you to edit your post accordingly.
- You will be doing quite a bit of writing, peer-editing, and re-writing this year. When you complete the final draft of a paper, you will staple it on top of all the previous drafts and put it in your writing portfolio – a folder that we’ll keep in class. Once or twice a session, you’ll spend class-time reviewing your portfolio, noting your progress and any recurring errors or problems.
- In addition to your independent reading project, each session will wrap up with either an individual or group project, a final paper, or a final test.
- YOU will help determine the structure and content of this class, so feel free to offer suggestions and ideas!
Looking forward to a great year with you!
