Assessment

  1. Weekly Blog Posts and Comments (20%)
    Each week, in response to the reading and/or videos, you will write 400-500 words on a blog and write comments on at least two of your classmates’ blogs posts.
  2. Mid-term Examination (15%)
    Based on identification, commentary, and analysis of short passages from the set readings. In 2021, this will be a take-home exam: you will have 24 hours to write it, though it is designed to take no more than an hour. Here is the practice exam that we discussed on Wednesday. Your midterm is now available here.
  3. Final Examination (20%) In 2021, this will be a take-home exam: you will have 24 hours to write it, though it is designed to take no more than two and a half hours.
  4. A final project, which may be collaborative (25%), and which will be supplemented by an annotated bibliography (10%). Here, you will research and analyze an instance of popular culture in, or from, Latin America. This may be an example of one of the forms of popular culture that we are directly discussing in class (folktales, food and drink, religion, music, etc.) or not (graffiti, film or video, handicrafts, festivals…).

    The form that this project takes can either be a text (c. 7-8 pages, double-spaced), accompanied by at least 6-7 slides (PowerPoint, Prezi, or similar), designed to constitute a 15-minute presentation; or it can be a video of no more than 10 minutes (for which you will also hand in a script), which will subsequently be uploaded to YouTube with a CC-BY-NC license. I am also open to proposals for other formats. I very much encourage group projects, in which up to four of you collaborate to work together (on a video; or you work in pairs on a presentation).

    Here is a space for you to discuss and coordinate topics and formats

    The annotated bibliography needs to include at least 5 articles, chapters or books related to the topic you are researching; you will write at least half a page on each of them, summarizing what they say and their contribution to your project.

  5. Participation (10%) You are expected to come to class having done the reading and prepared to contribute. Though there is a significant asynchronous (any-time) component to this course, our synchronous (real-time) sessions face to face are vital. These will not be lectures, but opportunities for you to talk, ask questions, listen to your peers, and work collaboratively to understand the material. You need to attend, having done the reading and written your blog post, and be prepared to engage in discussion.

    If you miss more than two weeks (four synchronous classes) over the semester without written justification (such as a doctor’s note), your grade will be affected: (A to A-; B+ to B, etc.); if you miss more than three, your grade will go down by a full letter (A to B; B+ to C+, etc.). And if you come to class unprepared, i.e. without having done the reading or written your blog, you may be marked down as absent. Failure to complete your blog entries or to comment on other students’ blogs can seriously affect your grade.