Dr. Tatiana Tsakiropoulou-Summers

 

Office: 238 B. B. Comer Hall

Phone: 348-3011

E-mail: tsummers@bama.ua.edu

 

Monday @ 3:15-5:45 p.m. – Bidgood Hall 375

This is not only a writing course but also one with a strong active and collaborative element that integrates literature, history, and film as an introduction to ancient Greco-Roman literature and culture. Many of the films we watch attempt to reconstruct the ancient world to some degree of accuracy, while others are inspired by themes and motifs of ancient literature, which they interpret. Students read several original works of ancient literature, watch films, discuss them in class, write a paper and several movie reviews, and produce a short movie of their own over the course of the semester.  The screening of movies takes place mostly outside the classroom.  If you are unable to attend the scheduled screening, you must do so on your own time and BEFORE the class meeting dedicated to the discussion of the movie.

 

 

OBJECTIVES At the conclusion of the course, students will:	ASSESSMENT Students’ skills will be assessed via:
be able to analyze film imagery, metaphors and themes.	Class participation, paper, presentations, quizzes & tests
interpret crucial film scenes.	Class participation, paper, journal, tests, quizzes & tests
develop critical reading and analytical skills by reading literary and non-literary works.	Class participation, paper, presentations, journal, peer review, quizzes & tests
trace the development of important genres such as tragedy, comedy, & epic, as well as their styles and innovations.	Class participation, paper, quizzes & tests
acquire a general idea of the main events in ancient Greek & Roman history	Quizzes & tests
increase their understanding of some of the greatest works (hence, classics!) ever written.	Class participation, paper, quizzes & tests, presentations, journal, peer review
read and analyze individual literary texts within a cultural, historical, and political context.	Class participation, paper, quizzes & tests, presentations, journal, peer review
improve their writing and analytical skills	Paper, journal, presentations, peer review
write cogent, extended literary interpretations incorporating critical sources acquired through library research and documented correctly and adequately using the MLA style of documentation.	Paper, journal, presentations, peer review
develop the habit of attending class regularly	strictly enforced attendance policy

 

 

 

TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE

 

 

CLASSWORK	READINGS	DUE DATES
Introduction Movie 1: “Helen of Troy” (2 hrs. 57 mins.).
Discuss Movie 1. Introduce & view movie 2: “Troy” (2 hrs. 42 mins.).	TWTG (These Were the Greeks) pp. 4-25 Homer’s Iliad	Turn in Film Review  for Movie 1
LABOR DAY	NO CLASSES
Discuss Movie 2. Introduce & view movie 3: “The Odyssey” (3 hrs. 33 mins.).	TWTG, pp. 26-36; Homer’s Odyssey (bks 1-12)	Film Review for Movie 2
Discuss Movie 3. Introduce & view movie 4: “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”	TWTG, pp. 37-58; Homer’s Odyssey (bks 13-24)	Film Review for Movie 3   Paper: 1st Draft due to Peer Reviewer
Discuss Movie 4. Introduce & view movie 5: “300” (1 hr. 56 mins.).	TWTG, pp. 59-71; Herodotus’ Histories	Film Review for Movie 4   Peer Review due to Author
Discuss Movie 5. Introduce & view movie 6:  “Alexander” (2 hrs. 47 mins.).	TWTG, pp. 177-194; Rufus’ History of Alexander	Film Review for Movie 5   Paper: 2nd Draft due to Professor
Mid-term exam Discuss Movie 6.		Film Review for Movie 6   Assign teams for the Student Movie Production.
Introduce & view movie 7: “Spartacus” (3 hrs. 16 mins.).	TWTR (These Were the Romans) pp. 1-20; 121-139; Julius Caesar (Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars)	Declare movie theme & plot. Job assignment.
Discuss Movie 7. Introduce & view movie 8: “Cleopatra” (2 hrs. 57 mins.).	TWTR, pp. 43-62	Film Review for Movie 7   Turn in Movie Script.
Discuss movie 8. Introduce & view movie 9:  “Ben Hur” (3 hrs. 31 mins.).	TWTR, pp. 98-120; Augustus (Setonius, The Twelve Caesars)	Film Review for Movie 8 Storyboards, list of shots, props, sets, equipment.
Discuss movie 9. Introduce & view movie 10: “The Gladiator.”	TWTR, pp. 140-149; 171-190	Film Review for Movie 9 Report on movie shooting Progress.
Discuss movie 10. Introduce & view movie 11: “A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum” (1 hr. 40 mins.).	Plautus, Pseudo	Film Review for Movie 10 Finish shooting; edit video.
Introduce & view movie 12: “Monty Python’s Life of Brian” (1 hr. 34 mins.).	Plautus, The Brothers Maenechmus; The Swaggering Soldier (lines 1-150)	Film Review for  Movie 12 Edit video some more.  Report on movie progress. Prepare short introduction for Movie.
Student Movie Premier	TWTR, pp. 191-215	Student Movie Premier
FINAL EXAMINATION @ 7:00-9:30 p.m.

 

Class Participation                                                                                  5%

                Pop Quizzes on Assigned Readings                                    10%

                Literature Presentation                                                        10%

                Film Review: Contemplations & Interpretations              10%

                Film Prologue Presentation                                                    5%

                Paper: First Draft                                                                 10%

                Paper: Second Draft                                                                               5%

                Peer Review of First Draft                                                    10%

                Movie Producing                                                                   10%

                Movie Review                                                                          5%

                Midterm                                                                                 10%

                Final Exam                                                                                            10%

               

                Attendance            :      Only ONE absence is allowed without penalty

CLASS PARTICIPATION (5%):  Students will be graded on their willingness to participate in class discussions, on the depth of their comments, on having watched each movie before the day appointed for its discussion and on having completed the assigned readings.  Class discussions will draw on students’ knowledge of the assigned readings and their effort in preparing their weekly journal.  The professor is looking for answers that reveal the students’ engagement with the subject matter as well as their degree of preparation for class.  Unwillingness to participate orally in discussions, will greatly affect a student’s grade.

 

POP QUIZZES (10%): There will be several UNANNOUNCED quizzes on the readings assigned for each class-meeting in the schedule below.  The quizzes are unannounced in order to ensure that students keep up with the daily readings. Therefore, there will be NO MAKE-UP QUIZZES, but one quiz grade may be dropped in the end of the semester.  Quizzes are given at the beginning of the class period, so be there on time.

 

LITERATURE PRESENTATION (10%): For each class meeting, one or two students will be responsible for presenting the background (including information on the author, date, main themes of composition, literary quality, quality of source for its historic reliability, historic sources used, author’s methodology, purpose of literary work) and the literary work per se assigned for the day in a 15-20 minute PowerPoint Presentation.  Each presentation should be accompanied by a handout with an outline of main points and with a 10-question questionnaire for class discussion and for use at class exams.  NB: If there is a pop-quiz on any given day, it will take place before the presentation; students are urged to come to class having read the assigned work.

 

FILM REVIEW (10%): Contemplations & Interpretations:  After watching a movie, students are required to write a one- to two-page review focusing on some of the points given in the “Interpretative Questions” handout.  The reviews will be collected and graded, but more than that they will serve as the basis for an intelligent class discussion. 

 

 

FILM PROLOGUE PRESENTATION (5%): Students will give short PowerPoint Presentations (10-15 minutes) prologizing the movie we will discuss on the given date.  These movie introductions must include information on the filmography, date of production, main actors, as well as trivia on the actors (in relation to the movie), the conception, inspiration, production, and significance of the movie.  Movie prologues may reflect the interests of the presenter but above all should aim at recommending the movie to the audience.  The success of the presentation and its subsequent grading will be determined by how intriguing and interesting it is (mainly by the instructor’s standards!).  Presentations must be accompanied by handouts with fairly detailed outlines for the benefit of the students, since the information presented there is material for the exams.  In constructing presentations, you may use articles, books, or web sites, such as the IMDB data base (http://www.imdb.com/), which must be listed on the handout under “Bibliography.”  Presentations must be given on the appointed day and at the beginning of the class, before viewing the movie. In case a student fails to give the presentation on the appointed day (regardless of reason) you may submit the fully written text of the presentation for grading, but it will only get two percentage points (2%) points out of the possible five (5%).  Whenever there are two students assigned to a movie, they may divide the material they wish to discuss to avoid duplication and take no more than 30 minutes total.

 

PAPER: The students will be required to write one 5-page paper discussing various aspects of the films we watch and the assigned readings.

                Paper Topic:  Choose one movie from those assigned to be viewed in class; then research the following questions that should help you decide on an angle for your paper thesis:  How is the movie a product of the social and political environment in America at the time it was produced?  What is the significance of the director’s choice of topic and the way he chose to develop the various themes and motifs in it?  Is the movie historically accurate or not?  What purpose do you think historic accuracy (or lack thereof) serves in the specific movie?  How do these motifs relate to the realities of contemporary American society?  What are the director’s objectives in this movie?  And do you, as a young person in the 21^st century, still relate to this movie or is it obsolete to your sensitivities and view of life?  Further details will be given in class.

                Extensions: Please notice the due dates in the class schedule; there will be NO EXTENSIONS whatsoever, since the deadlines are announced so far in advance. Students are required to turn in the papers on the due dates or earlier; every day a paper is late (including weekends), will cost the student a whole letter grade.  Do not wait until the last minute to print your documents, for broken-printer excuses will not exonerate you.

                Rewrites: NO REWRITES of the first draft will be allowed, since there is an official second draft. Further details will be given in class.

 

FIRST DRAFT (10%): This is actually a misnomer, since I want the first draft to represent the completed version of the paper.  First drafts must be turned in by the deadline, when they will be given to a peer reviewer for a review (for the process, see below the “Blind Peer Review” section).  No extensions will be granted to late papers (for penalties, see above under “Extensions”).  Actually, turning a paper in late will prevent another student from reviewing it and, thus, fulfilling his or her obligation for this grade category.  Please be considerate and mindful of this particular problem, because your tardiness may cost another student his or her grade.

 

SECOND DRAFT (5%): After the peer review is over, each student will be given back the first paper draft along with the peer review, which will hopefully contain helpful suggestions and comments. The student then will rewrite his or her paper attempting to address all the concerns in the peer review. The final draft must be turned in to the professor by the deadline together with the first draft and the peer review. This process has the benefit of helping students understand what they need to do in order to improve their writing skills. No extensions will be granted to final drafts either (for penalties, see above under “Extensions”).

 

Grading Criteria: The criteria for grading the final draft are the following: (i) formal structure of essay; (ii) existence of thesis; (iii) logical organization of material; (iv) cohesion and flow of argumentation; (v) lines quoted from the original work discussed in the paper; (vi) effective analysis of quoted lines to prove your point; (vii) accuracy of information; (viii) correct grammatical and syntactical usage of English; (ix) spelling (especially of proper names and work titles); (x) number of secondary works (books & articles) consulted (at least 3).  For more information, please refer to the class handout “How to Write an A Paper.”

 

PEER REVIEW OF FIRST DRAFT (10%): Every student’s first draft will be given to a peer reviewer, i.e., a fellow student.  The review will be blind, meaning that neither the reviewer nor the author will know each other’s identity.  The reviewer will go over the paper and make comments, corrections, and suggestions according to the handout “How to Write an A Paper.” In the end, the reviewer will assign a percentage of the grade to each part of the paper per the values listed in the handout as well as a grade to the whole draft.  The reviewer should also use the guidelines in the “Grading Criteria” section above, to make sure that he or she has addressed all essential aspects of the paper in the review.  The peer reviewer will also write a narrative review of the paper pointing out both its strengths and weaknesses, which will be submitted to the professor for grading on the basis of its thoroughness per the “How to Write an A Paper” handout and the “Grading Criteria” above. Notice that there is no page limit for the review; the review must thoroughly address all necessary points to ascertain the whole 10% assigned to this grade category.

 

MOVIE PRODUCTION (10%): In this class, students will produce and present their own short movie (5-10 minutes long), which they are required to burn on a DVD.  The movie has to deal with a story or theme from the ancient world; it may be a historic adaptation or a funny spoof.   Equipment may be acquired from the Media Center on the 2^nd floor of the Gorgas Library. There will be three teams of five students and each team will produce its own separate movie.  The three movies will be ranked first, second and third and the grade for this category will reflect the ranking.  All three movies will be presented during the last day of class.  Presenters and audience will be required to dress up for the premier, either in character attire or formal dress.  A Red Carpet may be provided by Rose Administration!

 

MOVIE REVIEW (5%):  At the movie premier, the students in the audience will review the movie per the guidelines in the “Interpretative Questions” handout, adding historicity, imaginative solutions, creativity, cleverness, gusto in acting, and costumes.  More details will be given in class. 

 

 

 

MIDTERM & FINAL EXAMS (10% each): The exams will consist of short essay and ID questions; they will be based on the lectures, the handouts, the reading assignments from the required books for the class. Make-up exams will be granted only to students with valid and documented excuses (such as, hospitalization, jury duty, etc.). Forgetfulness or uncooperative alarm clocks (albeit part of life) do not count as valid excuses.

 

ATTENDANCE POLICY: Given that the class meets only once a week, students are allowed only ONE absence throughout the semester without penalty.  Students will count as absent, if they are over 10 minutes late to class.  Each absence in excess of ONE, excused or otherwise, will result in a deduction of five percentage points (5%) from the student’s final average. This policy is strictly enforced; keep your absences for emergencies only.  Inability to find a parking space will not exonerate you – we are all in the same boat and if I am in class, you had better be there, too.  In case of serious and prolonged illness, you must obtain a note from the Dean of the Honors College documenting the problem and recommending that you be excused for missing class.

 

MAKE-UP POLICY: Make-up tests will be given only to students who have a valid excuse in writing.  The professor must be notified within 24 hours of the missed test.

 

Academic Honor Code and Academic Misconduct Disciplinary Policy: Every student must read and sign the University of Alabama Honor Code and Disciplinary Policy. You may find it at .  For this class, you will need to sign an abbreviated form of it and you will not be allowed to take any quizzes or tests before you turn in this document.  As unpleasant as it may be, you must be forewarned that anyone caught cheating, plagiarizing, fabricating or misrepresenting materials will be referred to the Dean's office for disciplinary action.

 

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

The University has designated the Office of Disability Services as the campus coordinating office for the provision and delivery of services and reasonable accommodations that ensure the University's programs, services, and activities are accessible to students with disabilities.  For more information, contact the Office of Disability Services at 111 Osband Hall, 348-5175.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MAKE-UP POLICY: Make-up tests will be given only to students who have a valid excuse in writing.  The professor must be notified within 24 hours of the missed test.

ATTENDANCE POLICY: Given that the class meets only once a week, students are allowed only ONE absence throughout the semester without penalty.  Students will count as absent, if they are over 10 minutes late to class.  Each absence in excess of ONE, excused or otherwise, will result in a deduction of five percentage points (5%) from the student’s final average. This policy is strictly enforced; keep your absences for emergencies only.  Inability to find a parking space will not exonerate you – we are all in the same boat and if I am in class, you had better be there, too.  In case of serious and prolonged illness, you must obtain a note from the Dean of the Honors College documenting the problem and recommending that you be excused for missing class.

 

If you are registered with the Office of Disability Services, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible to discuss any course accommodations that may be necessary. If you have a disability, but have not contacted the Office of Disability Services, please call 348-4285 or visit 133-B Martha Parham Hall East to register for services. Students who may need course adaptations because of a disability are welcome to make an appointment to see me during office hours. Students with disabilities must be registered with the Office of Disability Services, 133-B Martha Parham Hall East, before receiving academic adjustments.

All students in attendance at the University of Alabama are expected to be honorable and to observe standards of conduct appropriate to a community of scholars. The University expects from its students a higher standard of conduct than the minimum required to avoid discipline. Academic misconduct includes all acts of dishonesty in any academically related matter and any knowing or intentional help or attempt to help, or conspiracy to help, another student.

The Academic Misconduct Disciplinary Policy will be followed in the event of academic misconduct.

In the case of a tornado warning (tornado has been sighted or detected by radar; sirens activated), all university activities are automatically suspended, including all classes and laboratories. If you are in a building, please move immediately to the lowest level and toward the center of the building away from windows (interior classrooms, offices, or corridors) and remain there until the tornado warning has expired. Classes in session when the tornado warning is issued can resume immediately after the warning has expired at the discretion of the instructor. Classes that have not yet begun will resume 30 minutes after the tornado warning has expired provided at least half of the class period remains.

UA is a residential campus with many students living on or near campus. In general classes will remain in session until the National Weather Service issues safety warnings for the city of Tuscaloosa. Clearly, some students and faculty commute from adjacent counties. These counties may experience weather related problems not encountered in Tuscaloosa. Individuals should follow the advice of the National Weather Service for that area taking the necessary precautions to ensure personal safety. Whenever the National Weather Service and the Emergency Management Agency issue a warning, people in the path of the storm (tornado or severe thunderstorm) should take immediate life saving actions.

When West Alabama is under a severe weather advisory, conditions can change rapidly. It is imperative to get to where you can receive information from the National Weather Service and to follow the instructions provided. Personal safety should dictate the actions that faculty, staff and students take. The Office of Public Relations will disseminate the latest information regarding conditions on campus in the following ways:

• Weather advisory posted on the UA homepage
• Weather advisory sent out through Connect-ED--faculty, staff and students (sign up at myBama)
• Weather advisory broadcast over WVUA at 90.7 FM
• Weather advisory broadcast over Alabama Public Radio (WUAL) at 91.5 FM
• Weather advisory broadcast over WVUA 7. WVUA 7 Storm Watch provides a free service you can subscribe to that allows you to receive weather warnings for Tuscaloosa via e-mail, pager or cell phone. Check http://www.wvua7.com/stormwatch.html for details.