Upcoming Assignments

Hi Everyone,

Posted below is what is required for your proposal and essay.  This, and descriptions of other assignments, are available at http://modernityseminar.wordpress.com/about-the-course/course-requirements

Your essays may be of varying lengths, depending on what you chose in your contract.  A shorter essay should address only one text, whereas a longer essay could compare texts.  The key to an excellent proposal is to present clear, well-developed research questions that are innovative.

If you have questions, please email me.  I maybe available in my office tomorrow.  Let me know if you want to make an appointment.

Essay Proposal: this is a two-page document in which you propose your object(s) of study (the texts and the ideas) and the course of action you plan to use in your paper. It should a paragraph or two that describes a topic, research/analysis question, tentative thesis, possible arguments and possible evidence. The second page will be a properly formatted bibliography, using Chicago or MLA style.

Final essay: Your final essay will be a 1000-2500 word thesis-driven analysis of a text or group of texts that we have not studied in class and that falls within the period under study. You are to explicate and analyze the central idea or ideas in relation to the theme of modernity. This is to be a considered discussion of ideas, not a book report or summary. You should begin thinking about this immediately. You must clear your topic with me in the third week of class.

Your essay proposals…

…can be picked up from my office on Monday, 2-6:30 pm. If I’m not there, I’ll be back within 10 minutes ’cause I’m just getting more coffee.

– Prof Steer

Blog posts & essay proposals

In light of missing last week’s class and some confusion regarding blog posting due dates, here is a revised schedule:

(wk 2)Jan 16 and (wk 4) Jan 30 — past due

(wk 5) Feb 6 moves to –> Feb 13 (if you already posted last week’s blog, that’s great; if you would like to edit your post, go ahead anytime before Wednesday at midnight; if you haven’t posted this one, do so before Wednesday at midnight)

(wk 6) Feb 13 moves to –> Feb 27

The rest of the blogs stay on the dates listed in the syllabus: weeks 8 (March 7), 10 (March 19), (April 2) 12.

** please note that I’ve extended the date for week 8 slightly so that you may write about the surrealist night at NAC.

Your proposal is due this week – February 13th — and we’ll have to stick to that date so we don’t fall behind. Please let me know if you have any questions about the format. This is taken from the syllabus:

Proposal: this is a two-page document in which you propose your object(s) of study (the texts and the ideas) and the course of action you plan to use in your paper. It should a paragraph or two that describes a topic, research/analysis question, tentative thesis, possible arguments and possible evidence. The second page will be a properly formatted bibliography, using Chicago or MLA style.

If you have questions, I’ll be in my office tomorrow (Feb 11th) afternoon and on MSN.

– Prof. Steer