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Literature in German I LITERATURE IN GERMAN I GERM 3120 • Spring 2021 • MW 2-3:15 Format: Synchronous • Course Language: German Instructor: Prof. Julia Gutterman • [email protected] • Office Hour: by appointment (please email me!) WHAT THIS COURSE IS ALL ABOUT: Does fiction even have a point? Are robots a thing – and What makes them so uncanny? And how do I know What to do or Who to be? 200 years ago, these questions pressed philosophers, Writers, and artists to create some of the greatest Works in the German language. Today, these questions still shape our lived experience, igniting controversial debates about social issues. In “Literature in German I” We focus on 3 texts penned during the 18th and 19th centuries: an essay, a play, and a short novel. We critically approach these texts through group activities, discussions, short presentations, creative writing, and cultural analysis. Together We discover how these texts from the past find new shapes in contemporary film and theatre productions—and We investigate their connections to current debates and issues such as, for example, the #MeToo movement or Berlin’s decolonization movement. At the end of the course, you might feel compelled to take up graduate studies in German literature! Or, you might find yourself on a business trip to Germany, contributing to the small talk of cocktail hour in a meaningful way: not only will you know that, and Why, the ‘Mohrenstrasse’ in Berlin Was recently renamed “Anton-Wilhelm-Amo Strasse” – you Will also know Who this philosopher Was and how he relates to the German Enlightenment. Not only Will you be able to pick up on references to the pain of reading “Emilia Galotti” (a Work almost every German must endure at least once in their life), but you’ll also be able to talk about the most famous contemporary staging of this 18th century play – a German-language production with prize-winning success in Berlin and New York. Above all, “Literature in German I” is an excellent opportunity for you to bring your German skills to the next level: together, We Will Work on your reading, writing, and communication skills; you’ll learn new vocabulary and practice new (or long forgotten) grammar structures. You will leave this course with fresh confidence in your German! GERM 3120 is conducted in German. Prerequisite GERM 3010. If you haven’t taken GERM 3010, but are interested in this course, please email me! HOW YOU’LL LEARN and HOW YOUR LEARNING WILL BE ASSESSED 1. ENGAGEMENT (35% of final grade): Despite the romantic myth of the lonely Writer, a literary scholar doesn't work in isolation: we try out new ideas and critically assess our Writing in communication With our peers. The language and literature classroom emulates this process: engagement With the texts and with each other is thus a vital part of your learning experience for this course. To be successful, this course requires sustained engagement throughout the semester, both during class session and outside of class. There Will be three modes of engagement: Reading and Preparation Activities: Before most class sessions, you Will read an assigned text and complete a preparation activity. These activities help you to engage fully With the texts We read, and they prepare you for in-class activities. For example, you might complete a Worksheet With guiding questions that help you understand vocabulary and key literary concepts, you might record your initial reactions to the text, complete an online research assignment, or you might be asked to generate questions on the reading for in-class discussions. Preparatory activities will take the form of individual assignments, pair, as Well as group Work. In-Class Activities: On a typical day, We Will begin class by sharing our prepared assignments, and we will critically approach the reading of the day by Way of individual and group activities such as discussions in small and large groups, in-class reflective Writing, short presentations, creative text transformation, or mini-lectures. In the latter part of class, we will review key concepts and ideas and bring them into conversations With the larger issues and questions of interpretation. Course Journal: At the end of each session, you Will Write an entry in our course journal. Your entries will serve as a record of your engagement with the class material, and taken together they’ll serve as a useful summary of each lessons. In 1-2 sentences each, you Will answer two questions, either as an individual post or as a comment to a classmate’s post: • What idea, insight, or question did you offer in class today, either in full- or small-group discussion? (If there are multiple, pick the one you think worth remembering. It can be something small!) • What about the day's session/group work was most memorable, what surprised you, or are there any questions lingering? HoW I Will assess your engagement: What matters is your level of engagement With the course material, our discussions of it, and the activities throughout the semester. I will assign an engagement grade holistically, with regard to four categories: assignments, discussion, collaboration, and communication. You can find the rubric for the engagement assessment on our course collab site under ‘Resources.’ Note on use of German: This class is designed to Work for students With a Wide range of German abilities. If your German is more advanced, you Will gain a lot from the class through your interactions with me as well as through helping and supporting fellow-students whose German is less advanced. If you’re situated at a more intermediate level, you Will improve your German through interactions With more confident speakers as Well as With myself. In all interactions I expect you to practice respectful patience with each other and to Work toward the goal of creating a mutually-beneficial classroom dynamic. 2. ONLINE READING JOURNAL (20% of final grade) As We're discussing the different texts this semester, you Will keep an online journal to record how your thoughts on the course materials develop throughout the semester. Specifically, for your online reading journal, you’re asked to reflect on how current events or debates relate to our course discussions, or to bring our course materials in conversation with other texts you’re reading or films you’re viewing. The reading journal also helps you to get into the habit of writing regularly (in German). You will notice that you'll find some of your most intriguing ideas and questions through this informal engagement With the text and the class. Entries cannot be banked or postponed – entries are due Within the time frame set by the respective due dates (see schedule). Entries should be about 250-300 Words long and will be assessed on an A, B, C scale. 3. PROJECTS (45% of final grade) Composition (10%): You Will Write 1 short composition. The composition prompt will ask you to write an informed, thoughtful and evidence-based analysis on a single text (or text passage) we covered in class. You Will be given a couple of essay questions to choose from. The purpose of this composition exercise is to allow you to apply your language and analytical thinking skills, and to demonstrate your engagement With and knoWledge of the course material. Research project and Mini-Conference (15%): You Will collaboratively research the African German philosopher Anton Wilhelm Amo. Each group Will focus on a different aspect of Amo – for example, one group might present on his philosophical works, while another group might focus on current debates and questions pertaining to the memory of Amo. The project Will ask you to put your research skills to Work and create an engaging presentation on your findings. The presentation will take the form of a mini-conference: you’ll showcase your knowledge on Amo, but also learn from and actively engage With the presentations of other groups. In a reflection you’ll be asked to synthesize the material covered during the conference. Detailed instructions for the project Will be provided closer to the date. Final Project and Reflection (20%): The final project is the culminating activity of this course. On a topic of your choice but pertaining to our course material, you Will collaboratively create a digital project such as a website, a podcast, or a video. You’ll be asked to pull together a semester’s worth of learning in this project, that is, you’ll be asked to demonstrate your analytical and interpretive skills, your research skills, as well as you presentational skills. The last two Weeks of the semester Will be reserved for Working on the project, and all projects will be presented during our last meeting of the semester. An individual reflection on the process of working on your project will be due on May 7th. Details as Well as ideas for the final project will be provided closer to the date. ALTERNATIVE: research paper. SCHEDULE Below is a rough schedule of our course program. Depending on time and class interests, I might add supplementary texts, or decide to push back or exclude altogether other texts. All changes Will be announced in class and on the course Website. Detailed Weekly/lesson plans Will be made available on collab. Note: due dates for all Written Works are Fridays. You alWays have the possibility for an extension to the following Monday before class (you Will still get full credit). Time Questions we will ponder: Materials We Will engage With: Due dates: Frame 2/5: 1st entry Immanuel Kant: Beantwortung der reading journal Week Frage, Was ist Aufklärung? 1-3 Are We ‘enlightened’? no class Audio version here: Wedn.
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