Assignments
Grading will be based upon the following. See syllabus for the contribution of each item to your course average. Due dates may be found on your course outline.
Class Discussions
Quality and quantity (frequency) will both be considered, as well as good citizenship – e.g., engagement, respecting others, not interrupting, etc.
Reflections (up to 10)
Each Reflection will be 500 words (approx 2 pages double-spaced, 12 point font, 1 inch margins) on some aspect of the week’s assigned reading (or media) OR on a related source you found on your own. Make sure your Reflection shows that you sufficiently considered the materials. Include, for example, something you found particularly interesting about the reading, why you agree or disagree with the author, how important or unimportant it is to our topic. For sources you found on your own, INCLUDE THE CITATION AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE. These will be graded as COMPLETED / NOT COMPLETED. Reflections that are more than 2 weeks late will not be graded.
Other Coursework
Various assignments including the following (graded as COMPLETED / NOT COMPLETED):
Email Me. As soon as you can - even if this is before the class officially begins - send your instructor an email with the following info: Your full name; Any nickname you may wish to use in this class [Optional]; Your phone number [Optional]. If you want to use a non-Baruch email address this is the time and place to let me know. The course name or number should be in the subject line.
eMeet Our Class. When you are in our Blackboard course site, click on the "Our Class" button on the left-side navigation pane and follow instructions.
Blackboard QuikPolls. I plan on having several brief anonymous surveys throughout the semester to gauge the progress of the class as a whole. (I'll let you know if this pans out.)
Submit your own Exam Question. Create your own question for our final examination. If your question is a good one, it will appear on the final exam. You may submit up to 3 questions, in the following allowable formats: multiple-choice, fill-in. You must include the answer with your submission. Submit through Blackboard.
A 10-minute video presentation on a course topic of your choosing. Presentation should be both insightful and entertaining. You may work individually or in pairs. Final video presentations are to be posted on a Bb Discussion for this purpose, and the class will assess all projects on presentation and content.
Deliverables (see course schedule for due dates):
Term Project Declaration. Topic requires approval of instructor. Need help choosing a topic?
Term Project Description and Outline
Term Project Video Presentation- Post to Bb
Evaluation: Completed Projects will be evaluated based on quality of (1) content and (2) presentation.
Content includes such considerations as: quality of the research, how interesting is the topic, how thoughtful / insightful are the analyses.
Presentation includes such considerations as: how entertaining is it, is it well organized, is it a professional effort, media used.
For more information, see the Term Project FAQ page.
Essay (Extra Credit)
Write an essay of approx. 1000 words about one of the following topics:
1)"Ancient Jewish humor". Use any of the sources in the readings, including for example, the book God Laughed. In particular the following two papers will be helpful. Submit through the Assignments on Bb.
2) Comparing Black and Jewish humor. use any of the sources discussed in class, or find your own. For example, Boskin, J. (1987). "Beyond Kvetching and Jiving: The thrust of Jewish and Black folkhumor." In S.B. Cohen, Jewish Wry, Indiana University Press, 1987, 53-79 [eReserve]; or Boskin J. and J. Dorinson, Ethnic Humor: Subversion and Survival. American Quarterly Vol. 37, No. 1, Special Issue: American Humor (Spring, 1985), pp. 81-97 [eReserve]
3) Is God Funny? Use any sources in the readings or find your own. For example,
Final Exam
One comprehensive exam, during the scheduled final exam period. For more information see the Final Exam FAQ page.