Discussion Posts for Exam 1 (30 points)
Required materials: Chapter 1 The Sociological Perspective, Chapter 2 Culture, Chapter 3 Socialization, and Chapter 4 Social Structure and Social Interaction. Required films (see DISCUSSION POSTS WRITING). ORIGINAL POST due to DISCUSSION POSTS FOR EXAM 1 FORUM no later than 8PM, Thursday, September 29 (15 points). REPLY POST due to DISCUSSION POSTS FOR EXAM 1 FORUM no later than 8PM, Thursday, October 6 (15 points).
DISCUSSION POSTS WRITING (90 points)
Because of the brevity of the text, you will need to study films and other assigned materials as seriously as you do lectures and textbook readings – and you will write about them in DISCUSSION POSTS FOR EXAM 1 FORUM (30 points), DISCUSSION POSTS FOR EXAM 2 FORUM (30 points), and DISCUSSION POSTS FOR EXAM 3 FORUM (30 points). Corresponding with Exam 1, you will have two writing assignments, an ORIGINAL POST of at least 400 words and a REPLY POST of at least 400 words in response to another student’s post for Exam 1. You will also need to submit an ORIGINAL POST and a REPLY POST for Exam 2, and an ORIGINAL POST and a REPLY POST for Exam 3. Each entry should be about 400 well-written words that demonstrate deep understanding of the films and course material. They should look nothing like the popular online synopses of the films.
Your submissions should synthesize some themes from
The textbook content pertaining to each exam, Specific film content and/or other materials assigned for that exam The COURSE DESCRIPTION, COURSE CONTENT, and STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES listed above on this syllabus. Read them again and again. Original insights and connections
You need to proofread, edit, and save your POSTS in some word-processing program before pasting them into the CANVAS DISCUSSION FORUMS for each exam. You need to be courteous and respectful to other students at all times, even when you are REPLYING TO and perhaps meaningfully critiquing what they have posted. You need to consider the deadlines as firm.
Having now heard all that scary stuff, I ask that you please not overdo or overstress about these 6 POSTS. I expect that – AFTER thoroughly having studied ALL the materials connected to an exam and films/media -- you should spend only about one additional solid hour on each of the 6 posts. Of course, this is only a suggested average amount of time and depends on your skill and background.
DISCUSSION POSTS FOR EXAM 1
College, Inc. (Links to an external site.) – 05/04/2010, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/video/flv/generic.html?s=frol02 (Links to an external site.). Scroll through the chronological list of film choices at this link, then choose College, Inc., which is at the date “05/04/2010.” Watch all 6 segments of College, Inc. in order). Take careful notes as if in lecture. Pay special attention to these issues: Are for-profit colleges genuinely functional for our society as a whole, for anyone? Develop a conflict perspective critique of them, including the University of Phoenix. From the symbolic interactism perspective, what does it mean to get training in pediatric nursing, and “to get a college education” in general.
Judgement Day: Intelligent Design on Trial
Note the interconnection of and conflict between all of society’s major social institutions around the issues presented in Judgment Day.
