Thursday, January 09, 2014

golden gate park syllabus, spring 2014


Golden Gate Park
First-Year Seminar
Lone Mountain 345
Tues & Thurs 12:45-2:30 pm

Professor David Silver
Office: Kalmanavitz 141
Office hours: Tues & Thurs 3-4 pm
Contact: dmsilver [ at ] usfca [ dot ] edu

Golden Gate Park is a First-Year Seminar that explores the history, built environment, popular narratives, and mixed uses of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Through readings, class discussions, and library workshops, students will develop a broad and keen understanding of the park; through field trips and park walks, students will gain valuable on-site experience in and with the park. An accelerated writing seminar, Golden Gate Park fulfills USF’s Core A2 requirement.

Learning Outcomes
In this class, students will learn:
1. How to read, analyze, and summarize complex texts from multiple fields and subjects; 
2. How to develop interesting research questions based on outside research and individual interests; 
3. How to use Gleeson Library and online tools to find relevant material from a range of sources and disciplines; 
4. How to write, edit, revise, and polish clear and compelling essays that, when necessary, keep with the conventions of academic writing; and
5. How some sand dunes called the Outside Lands became Golden Gate Park.

 
Required Text
Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein, They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, 2nd Edition (W. W. Norton, 2009).

Course Schedule
Tuesday, 1/21: Introductions

Thursday, 1/23: Twitter workshop

Cluster 1: The History of Golden Gate Park
This cluster begins on Tuesday, January 28 and lasts for three weeks, or six class periods. During this cluster, we will read, research, and write about the history of Golden Gate Park, have at least one workshop in Gleeson Library, and take field trips to the Horseshoe Pits, Fuchsia Dell, and the de Young Tower. Readings, which will be assigned at least two days in advance, include:
  • Raymond H. Clary, Making of Golden Gate Park: The Early Years: 1865-1906, pp. 6-27.
  • Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein, “‘They Say’: Starting with What Others Are Saying,” in They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing (or TSIS), pp. 19-29.
  • Graff and Birkenstein, “‘Her Point Is’: The Art of Summarizing,” in TSIS, pp. 30-41; and
  • Graff and Birkenstein, “‘As He Himself Puts It’: The Art of Quoting,” in TSIS, pp. 42-51.
Paper 1 is due at the start of class on Thursday, February 13.

Cluster 2: California Midwinter International Exposition
This cluster begins on Tuesday, February 18 and lasts for three weeks. During this cluster, we will explore the California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894, have two library workshops (one in Gleeson and one at the downtown branch of San Francisco Public Library), and take field trips to the Music Concourse, Shakespeare Garden, Japanese Tea Garden, and the downtown library. Readings include:
  • Raymond H. Clary, “Midwinter Fair,” in Making of Golden Gate Park: The Early Years: 1865-1906, pp. 111-125.
  • James R. Smith, “California Midwinter International Exposition – 1894,” in San Francisco’s Lost Landmarks, pp. 111-126.
  • Graff and Birkenstein, “‘Yes / No / Okay, But’: Three Ways to Respond,” in TSIS, pp. 55-67;
  • Graff and Birkenstein, “‘And Yet’: Distinguishing What You Say from What They Say,” in TSIS, pp. 68-77;
  • Graff and Birkenstein, “‘Skeptics May Object’: Planting a Naysayer in Your Text,” in TSIS, pp. 78-91; and
  • Graff and Birkenstein, “‘So What? Who Cares?’: Saying Why It Matters,” in TSIS, pp. 92-101.
Paper 2 is due at the start of class on Thursday, March 6.

SPRING BREAK (March 10-14)

Cluster 3: Golden Gate Park in the Modern Era
This cluster begins on Tuesday, March 18 and lasts for four weeks. In this cluster, we will explore recent developments in the park, have a zotero workshop, and take field trips to the Panhandle, Hippy Hill, and the de Young Museum. Readings include:
  • Selected articles about the Diggers;
  • Jacqueline Hoefer, “Ruth Asawa: A Working Life,” in The Sculpture of Ruth Asawa: Contours in the Air, edited by Daniell Cornell, pp. 10-29;
  • Graff and Birkenstein, “‘As a Result’: Connecting the Parts,” in TSIS, pp. 105-120;
  • Graff and Birkenstein, “‘Ain’t So / Is Not’: Academic Writing Doesn’t Always Mean Setting Aside Your Own Voice,” in TSIS, pp. 121-128; and
  • Graff and Birkenstein, “‘But Don’t Get Me Wrong’: The Art of Metacommentary,” in TSIS, pp. 129-138.
Paper 3 is due at the start of class on Thursday, April 10.

Cluster 4: Lost/Virtual/Invisible Golden Gate Park
This cluster begins on Tuesday, April 15 and lasts for four weeks. During this cluster, we will explore lost, less seen, virtual, and memorialized elements of the park. We will take park tours using the Golden Gate Park Field Guide (an app developed by the California Academy of Sciences) and An Unnatural History of Golden Gate Park (a virtual tour developed by the Studio for Urban Projects). We will also take field trips to the National AIDS Memorial Grove, the Beach Chalet, and the Park Chalet, and enjoy an end-of-the-semester celebration at Ocean Beach. Readings include:
  • James R. Smith, “Playland at the Beach,” in San Francisco's Lost Landmarks, pp. 44-53;
  • Josh Sides, “The Unspoken Sexuality of Golden Gate Park,” in Erotic City: Sexual Revolutions and the Making of Modern San Francisco, pp. 123-140; &
  • Andy Abrahams Wilson and Tom Shepard, The Grove: AIDS and the Politics of Remembrance (DVD), 2011.
Paper 4 is due at the start of class on Thursday, May 8.

There is no final exam in this class.

Grading
Paper 1                                                             15%
Paper 2                                                             20%
Paper 3                                                             20%
Paper 4                                                             25%
Class participation (which includes homework,      20%
         quizzes, in-class assignments, and active
involvement in discussions and field trips)

Attendance Policy
  • Because this is an accelerated writing seminar, attendance is crucial. Students are expected to attend each class and field trip, have all readings finished prior to class or field trip, and be ready to participate in class discussions. Missing class, or attending class unprepared, will significantly affect your final grade.
  • If you do miss class, contact a classmate to find out what you missed and ask to borrow her or his notes. Then, do it again with a different classmate. After doing this, if you have questions about missed material, visit me during office hours.
  • On days that assignments are due in class, a complete assignment is your ticket to ride. In other words, if you have not completed the assignment, do not come to class.

Academic Integrity
Plagiarism is using another person’s words and/or ideas without giving appropriate credit.  Plagiarism is a serious violation of academic honor and personal integrity and can result in failing an assignment, being removed from this course, or even being asked to leave USF.

Rules
1. No late work accepted. 
2. In class and on field trips, no drinking out of non-reusable containers.

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