Discussion Prompts
Topics in the discussion forum will be posted with each new author or director, or you may start your own. This writing supports class discussion, essay writing, and your growth as a critical reader and thinker. Plan to write a thoughtful post of 100-200 words on each of at least ten authors and film directors. Pace yourself and time your posts to coordinate with class discussion of a particular text (i.e. do not write about a text after we have moved on to another unless you are comparing two). You do not have to post on a day when an assignment is due.
See the full list of discussion prompts.
Essays
These draw on discussion posts, class discussions, and open-ended prompts. You have the option of handing in essays (please use Microsoft Word format) via the course website any time before midnight of the day assigned.
See the full list of essay prompts, guidelines, and rubrics.
Report
Each student will prepare and deliver a 10-minute in-class report on one day’s reading (possibly with a partner, depending on class size). This report should include research, using methods laid out in the research workshop and presenting a brief bibliography using MLA Works Cited. Please prepare a handout or slides (a page or 250 words or equivalent in slides) to be shared with the class.
It should
- supply salient information about the reading or film for the day,
- focus on a relevant passage, and
- raise questions and offer ideas for further thought and analysis.
You will be graded on content, delivery, and ability to generate class discussion.
See the full list of report guidelines.
Reflection
At the end of the semester please submit an assessment of your learning in this class. You may use whatever medium communicates your ideas effectively.
The description above is a guideline. The word length ensures that you have submitted the required number of a words for a CI-H class; you can always write more. If you use a nonverbal medium–photography, video, graphic art, sound, etc.— or write a poem, dialogue, or story instead, please submit an artist’s statement of an appropriate length. If your submission is in a different format from Microsoft Word, please send it to me as an email attachment.
You might use the discussion forum on this topic to get started or review the opening survey on your experiences in writing and communication.
