First Year Seminar Fall 2014

 

SECTION:       101-17 & 101-18

 

Instructor:         Professor Joan Dahlen

 

Office Hours:    By Appt. 

 

Telephone:        203-615-4924

 

Email:               jdahlen@bridgeport.edu

 

Place/Time:       101-17 – Dana 238 -9:30-10:45

 

                        101-18 – Dana 22 – 11:00-12:15

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction

 

First Year Seminar helps first-year students get the most out of their college experience. Specifically, by taking this course, students will (A) develop their love of learning, (B) become active members of the UB community, (C) examine and practice the norms of UB’s academic culture, and (D) acquire and hone the thinking skills that lead to success in college. The theme of the course is New Worlds.

 

 

 

Method

 

As a seminar, the course uses guided discussion, in-class reflection, and writing as primary modes of instruction.

 

 

 

Required Readings

 

Readings on Canvas or the UB Website:

 

• Plato, “The Allegory of the Cave”
• Martin Luther King, Jr., “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”
• Jackie Fitzpatrick Hennessey, “Can She SNAP?”
• One Necessary Voices lecture and/or one essay from The Commons
• Leonard Michaels, “Nachman from Los Angeles”

 

Texts that must be purchased for the course:

 

• The Invisible Gorilla And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us, Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons (ISBN: 978-0307459664)
• Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury (ISBN: 978-1451673319)

 

 

 

Grading

 

• Class attendance, active participation, and quizzes (25%)
• Three reflection papers (each 15%)
• Midterm exam and final exam (each 15%)

 

 

 

Academic Honesty

 

It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with and adhere to the standards set forth in the policies on cheating and plagiarism as defined in Chapters 2 and 5 of the Key to UB (www.bridgeport.edu/pages/2623.asp).

 

 

 

Course Workload

 

For each hour you spend in the classroom, you are expected to spend a minimum of two hours outside of class doing work related to FYS: completing reading assignments, writing papers, studying for exams, etc.  Since FYS meets 2 ½ hours per week, you should spend at least five hours per week outside of class doing work related to FYS.
Course Outline

 

 

 

08/26   Introduction to FYS

 

08/28   Plato, “The Allegory of the Cave”

 

09/02   Martin Luther King, Jr., “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”

 

09/04   Jackie Fitzpatrick Hennessey, “Can She SNAP?”: http://www.bridgeport.edu/files/2313/6519/2418/Spring2013-Knightlines.pdf

 

09/09   Necessary Voices lecture: http://www.bridgeport.edu/academics/undergraduate/literature-and-civilization-ba/necessary-voices-lecture-series/past-lectures/

 09/11   Essay from The Commons: go to myUB, click on THE Repository, click on UB Publications, and then click on The Commons

 09/16   Faculty Development Day – No Class

 09/18   Leonard Michaels, “Nachman from Los Angeles”

 09/23   Academic Honesty

 09/25   First Reflection Paper

 09/30   Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons, The Invisible Gorilla (Chapter 1)

 10/02   Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons, The Invisible Gorilla (Chapter 2)

 10/07   Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons, The Invisible Gorilla (Chapter 3)      

 10/09   Academic Standing

 10/14   Midterm Exam

 10/16   In-Class Conferences

 10/21   In-Class Conferences

 10/23   Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons, The Invisible Gorilla (Chapter 4)

 10/28   Information Literacy

 10/30   Information Literacy

 11/04   Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons, The Invisible Gorilla (Chapter 5)

 11/06   Christopher Chabris and Daniel      Simons, The Invisible Gorilla (Chapter 6 and Conclusion)

 11/11  Draft of Second Reflection Paper is due today for peer review class worksop. Quiz on Ch. 4,5, and 6 of The Invisible Gorilla. 

 11/13  Introduction to Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 (Part One)

 11/18 Final Second Reflection Paper due today. Assign third reflection paper. Draft due Nov. 25 and final due Dec. 2.Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 (Part One)

 11/20    Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 (Part Two)

 11/25  Draft of Third Reflection Paper due today for class peer review workshop. Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 (Part Three)

 11/27   Thanksgiving Break – No Class

 12/02   Third Reflection Paper due today.

 12/04   Conclusions                                         

 Final exam as scheduled by the Registrar