Seminar on the Americas
FL 320: Fall, 2003
| Labs 1 and 2: Due 9/22 |
Unit 1: The People and the Land |
| Web page project on individual topic assigned in class. This assignment will count as two labs and will be given two grades, one for the web page and one for the oral presentation in class. Content must focus on the assigned topic and must serve as a serious introduction to that subject. It should include (where relevant) a map, images, text, your own interpretation or views of the topic, examples to illustrate your points. It may include music and/or video clips. Materials taken from other sources (internet, books, etc.) must be documented. (Include a reference to written materials and a web link for electronic sources. Size (length) of the web page is up to you, as long as it serves as a good introduction to the topic and includes images. The oral presentation should be about 5 to 7 minutes long. You need to practice the presentation to make it effective. Do not simply read the material from the screen! Project is due by class time on September 22. You may continue to work on your project after that (until the day you present it), but it must be submitted by the 22nd in order to make sure it is working properly. Purpose: to learn to use technology for projects and presentations, to develop skill in using the internet for specific research projects, to make an original and significant contribution to the class, to become familiar with facilities in Foreign Language Department. |
Resources (Internet) Search engines, Resource pages on LAS web site, Wofford Library. Images from non-internet sources can be scanned in the FL Multimedia Lab. Student assistants are available to help you with technology in the Multimedia Lab. |
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| Labs 3, 4, 5 : Due 9/22, 9/29, 10/6 | Unit 2: American Roots |
For each assignment, watch the film, and write a report (1-2 pages) on your reactions to the material. Include responses to the questions under each film. Reports should include both critical analysis and personal opinion. The related web sites will provide further information and additional viewpoints. You may also want to explore them for possible use in group projects or for your individual papers.
Films |
Related Web Sites |
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Lab 3: "1492: Conquest of Paradise" How is Columbus portrayed in the film? Is he a hero, a villain, or both? Why? Which scenes do you think best illustrate the film's interpretation of Columbus and the "Conquest"? What do you think of the word "paradise" in the title? What does the film show us about the differences between the European and Native American world views? What aspects of the film would you criticize? |
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Lab 4: "The Mission" "The Mission"deals with the encounter between Europeans and indigenous people in Brazil and with the struggle between European colonial powers. How are indigenous people viewed by the Europeans? What is the role of the missionary in the film? How do you perceive the role that missionaries played in the Encounter? How would you compare this film with "1492"? What do you think some of the long-term effects of the events depicted in the film might be? |
Jesuits in Brazil |
| Lab 5: "I, the Worst of All" |
| Lab 6: Due 10/13 | Unit 2: American Roots |
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Film |
Web Sites |
| Lab 6: "Scattered Africa: Faces and Voices of the African Diaspora" (video) |
Creativity and Resistance: Maroon Cultures in the Americas UTlanic: African Diaspora |
| Lab 7: Due 10/24 |
Unit 2: American Roots |
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Film
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Related Web Sites
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Lab 7: "Out of Africa" (video) The video compares the African heritage of Haiti with that of Jamaica. What are the similarities and differences between the two countries regarding African identity and what accounts for the differences? What is the role of Voodoo in Haitian culture? What contributions have the Rastafarians made to Jamaican culture? Study Guide (test): Marcus Garvey, Rastafarianism, Boukman, Toussaint-L'Ouverture, Henri Christophe, Haile Selassie and/or "Family across the Sea" (video) |
Africans in America |
| Labs 8, 9: Due 11/3, 11/10 | Unit 3: Development Issues |
For each assignment, watch the film/video and write a report (1-2 pages) on your reactions to the material. Include responses to the questions under each film. Reports should include both critical analysis and personal opinion. The related web sites will provide further information and additional viewpoints. You may also want to explore them for possible use in group projects or for your individual papers.
Films |
Web Sites |
| Lab 8: "La Deuda interna" ("Veronico Cruz") What are the most important themes in this film? Comment on the significance of the original title of the film, "La Deuda interna," ("The Internal Debt"). How do we see the Dirty War reflected in the film? What message do we get about the Malvinas (Falklands) War? |
Desaparecidos and Malvinas; Human rights-Argentina |
| Lab 9: "Capital Sins: Authoritarianism and Democratization," Americas video 2 |
| Lab 10: Due 11/17 | Unit 4: Development Issues and the Rainforest |
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Video |
Web Sites |
| Lab 10: "Spirits of the Rainforest" |