Allen C

SSI 1: Seminar in Scholarly Inquiry

Utopia and the Imagination:

Reading Sequence

(This sequence is subject to change as I find necessary for our class)

Note 1:

This list represents the readings we will discuss each day. Be sure to read all assigned materials and write all assignments BEFORE the day we discuss them. When in doubt, do it anyway. Empty-handed students dont do well. Students who say I wasnt exactly sure what to do so I worked hard on this more often do well. Note 2: BRING ALL READINGS TO CLASS. Readings not in reader can be found on Moodle.Week 1

W: Sept. 3IntroductionReading: Moodle: Syllabus and Sequence.Utopian Beginnings

F: Sept. 5The Golden AgeReading: Utopia Reader: Introduction (1-5), Utopianism Before Thomas More (6-7), Genesis The Garden of Eden (9-11); Moodle: Yeats The Lake Isle of Innisfree (Listen to the poem), Homework: Moodle: Reading Questions on Utopia Reader Intro, Genesis, Innisfree.

Possible Pop Quiz on all readings including syllabus. (From now on Pop Quizzes will not be announced. Do your reading. Be ready!)

Week 2M: Sept. 8Cannibals in Paradise?: Eurocentric Framing of the New World

Reading: Utopia Reader: Montaignes Of the Cannibals. Moodle: New World Images, Reading Questions on Montaigne.More Reading: Critical Response 1 Prompt. Focus on first paragraph.Bring to Class: Writing Templates (either hard copy or digital)Summary 1 Due Today: following the critical summary model (first paragraph) in Critical Response 1 Prompt EXACTLY, type a one paragraph summary of Montaigne reading. W: Sept. 10Writing as Cannibalism

Reading: Moodle: Dudley Marchis Montaigne and the New World: The Cannibalism of Cultural Production (read pages 35-41).

Also Read: Definitions for Marchi Essay.

Writing Due: Extensive marginal notes (handwritten okay).

Also Due: Critical Response 1, Rough Draft, First Paragraph: 1 paragraph: using the critical summary form you have learned, summarize one of Marchis arguments. Typed.F: Sept. 12Read: Moodle: Essay 1 Prompt. (Just read this; dont write the essay

yet. We will work on this essay together). Quiz on Atwood novel chapters 1-9 is coming Monday.

Bring to Class: your CR1 First Paragraph from last class.

Binder Check!Week 3

Utopian Endings

M: Sept. 15Utopia as ApocalypseReading: Moodle: Jeffers: The Purse-Seine; Harjo:

When the World as We Knew it Ended; Yeats: The Second Coming

Homework Question: Please handwrite your answer: choose one poem and explain how it uses the end of the world to make an argument.Quiz on Atwood novel chapters 1-9

Critical Response 1, First and Second Half Due, Rough Draft. 2 paragraphs. Paragraph 1: summary of one argument in critical essay from last Wednesday; Paragraph 2: Forward the argument using any of our readings/images. Use one of our theoretical terms/definitions if you can make it interesting. Typed. (See prompt.)

W: Sept. 17Utopia as a Fiction. Reading: Utopia Reader: Thomas Mores Utopia

Writing Due: marginal notes using Reading Questions.

F: Sept. 19Scholarly articles: read one of the seven articles on Moodle: Seven Secondary Sources: Scholarly Articles.

Writing Due: Critical Response 1 Final Draft DueReading: Note-taking Techniques More Writing Due: Use two different note-taking techniques to take notes on the essay you chose. Handwritten okay.Week 4:

M: Sept. 22Utopia as Republic I: Utopia Reader: Platos Republic

Homework: Use Reading Questions to take notes. W: Sept. 24Utopia as Republic II: Utopia Reader: Platos Republic (continued).F: Sept. 26Be prepared to formally present the scholarly article you have chosen for Essay 1 (1-2 minute presentation with no props/slides or reading: just talking). In presentation, answer these three questions: 1. What is authors argument? 2. What examples does he/she use? 3. In your essay, how will you use his/her argument to raise a question about one of our texts? (Your central goal is to come up with a fascinating question.)

Warning: Quiz on Atwood chapters 10-20 coming next week.

Week 5

M: Sept. 29Writing Workshop 2: Thesis Forms. Essay 1 Rough Draft Due Today: Use Rough Draft Prompt to format this document. Make an argument by presenting the conversation surrounding a utopian idea and applying it to one of our texts. (See prompt for details.) Note: for the draft you must have all sections labeled in bold. Put whatever you have so far for that section. This will help you see how far you are and what you need to work on. Your final draft will not have these section labels.Reading: Revision Packet (print and bring to class or bring digital copy).Also Read: Rough Draft PromptW: Oct. 1Reading: Moodle: Sample Essay 1

Moodle: Revision Packet (bring to class). Quiz on Atwood chapters 10-20.

F: Oct. 3Writing Workshop 3: Old/New

Old/New is a technique for constructing coherence and cohesiveness at the

sentence level. This revision process will be used on all three major

essays. Moodle: Revision Packet (bring to class).

Homework: three versions of your thesis using three different forms from

our revision packet. Name the type of thesis. Make sure each pushes your thesis in a really different and interesting direction (that you may not ever pursue). TYPED.

Week 6

M: Oct. 6Homework: a paragraph (only one) from your essay marked for Old/New. Circle the old in each sentence. Every sentence must follow old/new.

In class: final questions regarding Essay 1. Bring to Class: Essay 1 Draft W: Oct. 8Utopias in Practice I. Utopia Reader: The Shakers

Essay 1 Final Draft Due Today: turn in rough draft and final stapled separately. Make marginal notes on final for structure (hook, thesis, my argument etc.) and all revision (old/new, etc.). Attach Grade Sheet to front of final draft. F: Oct. 10Utopias in Practice II. Utopia Reader: Oneida System of Criticism

Reading: Essay 2 Prompt. Read this closely and come to class with

questions.Also Read: Critical Response 2. Do not write the response yet.

Just read the prompt and bring it to class.

Week 7

M: Oct. 13A Naturalists Version of Utopia: Moodle: Edward Abbeys Desert

Solitaire (excerpt). This is a long reading, but it has a great ending! Quiz warning.

W: Oct. 15Reading: Utopian Political Philosophy. Moodle: Natural Capitalism.

Quiz warning.

Homework: Natural Capitalism is a difficult article. Read it thoroughly.

F: Oct. 17Critical Response 2 Due (on a real world utopian endeavor). See prompt.

Workshop: Active Writing. In this workshop we will learn how to move

away from static to be writing and develop sentences that move from actor to action. Bring to class: Revision Packet.Remember: over break you will need to choose two of the essays from the sources I have provided. You will use these to create a conversation for Essay 2.Week 8

Fall Break! Quiz after break on Atwood chapters 21-30.W: Oct. 22Moodle: The Five Arguments.

Bring to class: the two essays you are using as sources for Essay 2.Quiz on Piercy novel chapters 10-15.

F: Oct. 24Writing Workshop 4: Advanced Rhetoric

Moodle: Conservative/Liberal Definitions, Political Spectrum Test.

Homework: take the political spectrum test. Remember that it is asking

you about trust. Dont try and get the answers right. Simply see how you feel about the questions.

Week 9

M: Oct. 27Writing Due: Critical summary of two scholarly articles for Essay 2.

Make their arguments fascinating even if you disagree with them. Do not

respond. (The Encyclopedia articles are informational but do not aim to make arguments. Therefore, they do not count as one of your two critical sources.)W: Oct. 29Utopia and Advanced Argument. Michael Moores Sicko

Homework: watch Michael Moores film Sicko on Moodle. If you have trouble, try a different browser. A trick: click the shield in Firefox and then click allow download. Watch it at library computer if all else fails.

Reading: Ethos, Pathos, Logos; CR 3 Prompt.

F: Oct. 31Utopia and Advanced Argument. Michael Moores Sicko

Critical Response 3 Due: 2 pages detailing an argument from the film (include two argument types, all rhetorical techniques, and use of audience). See prompt. Bring to Class: the 2 scholarly essays you will use for Essay 2

Week 10

M: Nov. 3Review for Midterm. Discuss Essay 2.

Reading: Midterm Review (This is only a study guide. You will need to look up the answers in your notes).

W: Nov. 5Midterm on Fundamentals: Att. tag, quote sandwich, in-text citation, hook types, revision techniques, forwarding an argument, etc.

F: Nov. 7Essay 2 Rough Draft Due TODAY: analyze the real-world utopian endeavor you have chosen. Make a definitional argument concerning how this group reframes a central concept in our society. As part of this essay, you will do a rhetorical analysis of a primary text connected with this group. You will analyze how this group uses conservative and liberal values. (See prompt for details.)

Writing Workshop 5: StyleIn the style workshop, we will learn the 12 elements of style that allow critical arguments a rhetorical power beyond logos. As shown in the Cynthia Ozick example, moving the readers mind with style can become a rhetorical device as powerful as any logical evidence. The Sophists were right!Moodle: Revision Packet (bring to class).

(Start reading Hedges excerpts: War is a Force that Gives us Meaning)Warning: Hedges excerpt is long but very good. Start early.

Week 11

M: Nov. 10Discuss Final ProjectsMoodle: Final Project Prompt. Read twice and bring to class with specific questions. Essay and presentation. See prompt for details.

Final project: write a proposal argument using the readings from this class as sources. Each member of the group will write their own essay making a detailed argument including a thesis and evidence. You will propose a utopian version of one of the topics we have covered in this course: healthcare, government, architecture, sanitation, gender relations, etc. Remember to include a dystopian counterargument. See prompt.

Think About: Making groups for final project.

W: Nov. 12Utopia as War: Utopia Reader: Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four (Newspeak). Moodle: Chris Hedges War is a Force that Gives us Meaning (excerpts).F: Nov. 14Essay 2 Final Draft due Today: rough draft and final with

Revisions. Make marginal notes for structure and all revision. (See prompt for details.)Make groups for final project.

Week 12

M: Nov. 17Utopia and Gender. Atwoods The Handmaids Tale (finish it for today)W: Nov. 19Utopia and Gender. Atwoods The Handmaids TaleF: Nov. 21Utopia and RhetoricReading: Moodle: Kings I Have a DreamWeek 13

M: Nov. 24Utopia as Technology. Reading: Digital Utopia: CyborgsW: Nov. 26Thanksgiving

F: Nov. 28Thanksgiving

Week 14

M: Dec. 1Utopian Economics. Moodle: Albert and Hahnels Looking Forward: Participatory Economic for the Twenty First CenturyW: Dec. 3Utopian Architecture and Design. Moodle: Architecture and Urbanism: The Faces of Utopia.

Brainstorm Due TODAY (15 points): your own one-page typed

brainstorm about the proposal argument you are thinking of doing for your

final paper: ideas, dreams, nightmares, poems, art, speeches, diatribes, stories, games, manifestos, festivals, religions, technologies, medicines, labor organizational methods, interactions with nature, alternative physics,

sports, wars, brainwashing, interactive workshops, etc. that you might use

as a springboard for your critical analysis of one utopian topoi. No need to

talk to your group about your brainstorm. This is a space for you to begin

your creative process. While this process begins with the imagination, the

paper must be a proposal argument with a thesis and supporting evidence

(see prompt).

In class: present ideas. Meet with groups. F: Dec. 5 Group Work Day.Week 15

M: Dec. 8Group presentations I.Group presentations: While earlier presentations have been less formal, in this presentation I will expect more professional attire, and you will stand in front of the class. You should include one aspect of multimedia and one interactive aspect. You must open with a hook, close with a dynamic summary, and involve all members in speaking roles. You will each need to present your proposal argument clearly, present supporting evidence, and raise counterarguments (see prompt).

Remember: you may not read to us. You may, however, glance at notes.

Note: You must attend both as a presenter and as the audience for all presentations. Supporting your fellow utopian thinkers is not only required, it is a measure of your seriousness in this adventure. Imagine a utopia where no one listened. Not a likely utopia.

W: Dec. 10Last day of class: Group presentations II.

Final Essay Rough Draft Due TodayWeek 16

Final Essay due at end of scheduled final time. Please turn in to Moodle. Check Peoplesoft for final day and time. No in-class final.Allen C. JonesUniversity of Puget Sound

Office:Wyatt 334SSI 1: Utopia and the Imagination

Office Hours: 2-3pm MWFWriting Center Liaison:

Email: allenjones@pugetsound.eduLiaison email:

Doc Joness Phone: x3027

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