pprof’s 2008 website

As during this semester (Winter 2008), I am teaching only Introduction to American Studies, all of the information and materials below (updated week by week) pertain to this course. This is true even if you’re taking Introduction to British and American Studies (in which case this is only one half of what you are covering).

1.  Introduction (Sep 16-19). Please, download the rules (attendance, tests, etc) for this course. Additional materials: handout on British/American English (pdf + answer key), and The Star-Spangled Banner/God Bless America recording (mp3). For those interested: more about US money– Banknotes (explore the new bills) and Coins
2. Geography (Sep 22-26). Please, read the following chapter from Portrait of the USA before you come to class. For those interested: An Outline of American Geography and the National Park Service.
3. Demographics (Sep 29-Oct 2). Please, read Diversity in America before coming to class. For those interested: TBA
4. Ideas that shaped the US (Oct 6-10). Home assignment: read Declaration of Independence, Seneca Falls Declaration and the “I Have a Dream” speech. For those interested: H. D. Thoreau, Civil Disobedience
5. Government (Oct 13-17). Home assignment: read as much as you can about Elections 2008, the candidates, etc. in eJournal. For those interested: CNN’s election center, Elections 2008 on NewsHour. Also, the White House, the Senate, the House of Representatives. More about Democrats and Republicans.
6. Media (Oct 20-24). Home assignment: explore (at least) one of the following websites; look at what content and special features are available: (TV) CNN, PBS, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX; (Magazines) Newsweek, Time, US News and World Report; (Newspapers) New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor; (Radio) NPR.
7. Midterm Test (Oct 27-31). Self-explanatory. The actual topic for this week is Sports, though. Please, read the following chapter from Portrait of the USA (yes, all of it). Also, you need to know the meanings of the words/phrases on the handout (click here for the handout).
   Midterm test: to be taken during week 7. Please, make sure you can attend! You will be tested on the material covered during weeks 1-6 (with the exception of the first seminar). This includes whatever we talked about/discussed in class and whatever you were asked to read at home.
8. Tutorials (Nov 3-7). There are no classes this week except for 1BAS5 (makeup for Week 1). This class has been rescheduled for 3 p.m. on Tuesday (Nov 4) in Room K10. All other students, are welcome to come in for a consultation during the time of their classes. In any such case, though, please, notify me first by email of your intentions at least one day in advance.
9. City Life (Nov 10-14). Please, read the following three materials (the PDF file is quite large): Fast Food Nation: Founding Fathers (PDF), Saving the World for a Latte, and Stop the Insanity! Try a Homemade Christmas.
10. Education/Religion (Nov 17-21). Although I originally announced I wouldn’t be here during Week 10, this is no longer true. There will be classes on Wednesday (including the lecture). Those of you who normally have classes on Tuesday, please, join one of the Wednesday groups or at least make sure you get the notes. We will cover Education in the lecture and Religion in the seminar to speed things up a bit. There will be no reading assignment this week (yay!). Reading assignment after our class can be found here.
11. Arts (Nov 24-28). Yes, I know today I told you I would not be here next week, but — what do you know — after coming back home and checking my e-mail I found out things were no longer so. That means I’ll see you on 25/26 Nov as scheduled. Update: I will see you in class during our seminars, but there will be no lecture on Wednesday morning. Also, there is no reading assignment this week. But at least there is snow outside.
12. End-of-term test (Dec 1-5). Will include information from Seminar 1 + everything starting with Week 7: Sports (handout now available), City Life, Education, Religion and Arts. Remember, I want to know simple facts, e.g. names, expressions, people, etc. Your answers need to be short. My sincere apologies for misleading you: the minimum combined score you need to meet the requirements is 65 points (see my rules above).
13. Tutorials (Dec 8-19). Those who wish to take their exam early can do so during this week (Wed, Dec 10, 7 a.m., M/6 as usual). The first part of the exam will be questions with short answers; the second part will ask you to describe, explain and compare. All single-major students register via AIS. Double-major students need to register via email. Do not forget, a total of 65 and more points is necessary on your midterm/end-of-term test (combined).

For those interested in an additional (free) web-based resource, I recommend america.gov. In the Publications section, for instance, you can find some books published by the Department of State, as well as eJournals focusing on a variety of issues (from life in the US through science and health to foreign policy).

Read about the Christmas Thing at the department here.

Exam dates (as they appear in AIS). NB: If you fail, you are entitled to two retakes (if necessary). Your latest score (not the best one) is the one that counts. Retakes are possible on any of the dates below after your first try. Single-major students still have to register via AIS (double-major students via email). If you have questions, please, email me. 

• Dec 10, 7 a.m., M6 (Moyzesova)
• Jan 7, 12 p.m., F1 (Petzvalova)
• Jan 13, 9 a.m., F1 (Petzvalova)
• Jan 20, 9 a.m., F1 (Petzvalova)
• Jan 27, 9 a.m., F1 (Petzvalova)
• Feb 3, 9 a.m., F1 (Petzvalova) - retakes only
• Feb 10, 9 a.m, F1 (Petzvalova) - retakes only

Last update: Dec 3, 2008

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