Each week we will be looking at a set period from our past. Although these are our ancestors, it will seem like we are studying a distant planet, inhabited by people with the strangest of habits. Fortunately, these subjects of our observation give us abundant clues about who they are. Their art, their writing, their technology, the way they do business, the way they govern themselves all feed into a picture we will attempt to paint for ourselves each week. Understanding who they were will help us understand who we are.
Each week you will be given three or four questions pertaining to important topics covered in the materials provided in the question itself, the textbook, the lectures, the other materials provided, and my comments in my Live Session. You choose the one you like and post a response of 125 words or more. You also need to respond to another post from one of your fellow students. This second post should be at least 60 or so words long and should not just agree with or repeat what has been said.
Please use an example that has not already been used in the discussion
What is Fascism? Is it the logical pattern of government that resulted from the Industrial Revolution? What countries fell to Fascist leaders? Why? How did these leaders use art to show and increase their power?
How did the movies become such an important part of American culture during this time? Who were some of the people who made this happen? How did the movies become the huge business it became during this time?
After WWII, Western art entered a period in which a new sort of art developed. Called “abstract” this form of art is often puzzling to new viewers, yet it says something about both the people who created it and the culture and world that inspired it. What is “abstract art” and why do you think people chose to express themselves this way in the middle of the 20th century? Use one artist who created abstract art and tell us why you think they did that sort of art.
What was the Beat Generation? Using two examples of American writers who were “Beat” artists, tell us what their work says about America in the 1940’s and 1950’s.
The”Blues”is a uniquely American art form. Using the examples in the document below and any examples you find from the same period, choose one blues artist whose work has influenced another artist of your choice from the Rhythm & Blues or Rock and Roll artists of the 50’s and 60’s. Use one song from each artist and show the influence of the blues artist in the work of the R&B or R&R artist you choose and discuss the influence of the Blues on modern popular music in general.Robert Johnson to Elvis _1_.doc
How to Improve Your Score with Discussion Boards
With the first week of Discussion Boards in front of us, it is a good time to pause and reflect before moving forward. If the score is the only thing you look at and moved on, you are doing yourself a disservice. Read the feedback and consider why you lost points, to prevent the same thing happening week after week.
Here are a few common mistakes to avoid:
Not writing enough. This is a writing class. You are expected to read and listen to the materials, analyze and write an understandable response that covers the subject and answers the questions. Use complete sentences, as these are not short-answer questions. You might need to do a bit of extra research.
Cite your sources at the end of the initial post. Never cut-and-paste materials from sources. We want to see your thoughts and not those of others. If you summarize someone else’s thoughts or you use a direct quote, cite them. With assignments of this length, do not use long quotes. A short phrase is the maximum.
If your response to your classmates is “Great post!” “I agree with you!” are all you write, then you will not get points. Read their posts and find something they say that you can comment on. You can agree or disagree but provide evidence to prove your claims. The length here is important as well. Say something interesting that relates to the subject. Again, if you use outside sources, cite them.
Make sure your comments are organized, relate to the subject and make sense.
Check grammar, spelling, sentence structure, etc. As a college student, mistakes in these areas should not be present in your writing. When they are present, go back and review and learn why you made the mistake, so that you will not make them next time.
When you have completed your post, before you post it, re-read and edit it. You send your best work to be graded. Grading should not be an editing service, but a confirmation of your hard work. You are not done and should not post until you have edited your work for errors.
As a southerner, I often tell myself…Self, you cannot write the way you speak. Use your formal voice, with correct grammar and diction. To be honest, I was born a redneck, but I work hard to keep it under wraps in my writing. Writing well will become one of the greatest skills you can develop, but it takes constant work.
Try to check and respond to your classmates throughout the week. Read my responses to your classmates as well. You will find that the give and take of the responses will add much to your understanding.
Hopefully, these thoughts will help. Go through this process each week after grades are posted. It is always about continual improvement. I often say that for any of us, there is no finish line in writing. We will work to improve throughout our lives. Dr. Mike
