Span 461: Spanish Civilization and Culture M 4:30PM-7:10PM T117 and T227 Professor: Esperanza Román Mendoza Telephone: 993-1232 E-mail: eromanme

Department of Modern and Classical Languages George Mason University Office: Thompson 235A Office hours: TR 7:15-7:30PM and by appointment

• Course Description
• Objectives
• Materials and skills
• Attendance
• Assessment
• Tentative program
• WebCT Course Website

 Course description

Span 461 has been designed for students who have completed 15 credit hours of instruction in Spanish (or can demonstrate an equivalent level of proficiency). Span 461 reviews the history of Spain from the prehistoric times to the present, covering Spanish achievements in literature and the arts as well. Spanish 452 is a prerequisite for this class.

Objectives

• To identify important names, dates and events in Spanish History.
• To write small essays on topics and press reviews related to the Spanish Civilization and Culture.
• To consult on-line, printed and multimedia reference materials to find additional information on research themes.

Materials and Skills

• Kattán-Ibarra, J. Perspectivas culturales de España. Lincolnwood: NTC, 1995.
• Basic Internet skills (e-mail, WWW, etc.) and WebCT use. If you are not familiarized with these tools, STAR, UCIS and the university libraries offer free workshops on how to use PINE and other Internet-related applications.

Attendance

Class discussions, videos and activities provide the kind of interaction in Spanish that you cannot get at home. For this reason, there is no substitution for attendance. You are expected to attend all classes and be on time.

If you arrive late you are being disruptive and you may also miss some important information given at the beginning which cannot be repeated every time a student is late. You are responsible for all material covered in class. Keep in mind that irregular attendance will severely affect your learning process and, consequently, your final grade in this course. In case of an emergency, you are expected to let your instructor know about it as soon as possible.

Assessment

The progress made by students in this class will be evaluated by the following criteria:

1. Class preparation and participation 10%
2. Essays: 15%
3. Press reviews 15%
4. Web sites project: 10%
5. Exam and final project: 50%

1. Class preparation and participation

Participation means active involvement in the class. Students are encouraged to contribute in class discussions and are expected to speak only Spanish. The participation grade includes: 

1. your contribution in Spanish in regular class sessions, in group activities, and in electronic discussions;
2. your online self tests;
3. your cooperation and leadership in group and pair work, and
4. your respect and attitude towards your peers and the class.

In order for you to actively participate in class, you need to read in advance the material assigned for each class and do the questions posted in WebCT. Assignments are due every Monday. Late assignments will lose 10% of the grade for each weekday of delay.

2. Essays

Specific essay questions will be assigned every week. Typed and double-spaced 250-words essays will be collected every week. Students with low performance in the Spanish language will be asked to rewrite the essay with the help of a TA.

3. Press reviews

Every week, students will select an article from a Spanish newspaper, write a short summary, and explain why the selected article is relevant to the topics covered in this course. Articles and comments will be kept in a portfolio and turned in on November 27, 2000. More details in class.

4. Web sites project

Every week, students will select a web site from SPAIN and add it with comments to the course database. Duplicated references won’t be accepted. More details in class.

5. Exam and final project

There will be one written test and a final written project in this course. These assignments will evaluate the student’s ability to identify important names, events and dates related to the Spanish Culture, and to write short essays on topics covered in class. The first exam will be administered on Thursday, October 16^th. The final written project is due on December 11^th by 7:10 pm.

HONOR CODE: Collaboration is the best way to learn a language. You are encouraged to help each other and to make use of outside resources. Nevertheless, on assignments that are submitted for a grade, your work must be yours alone. Consult the GMU Honor Code for information.

Programa de la asignatura Span 461
28 de agosto	1. Geografía de España Vídeo: Conozca España
4 de septiembre	Labor day
11 de septiembre	2. De Iberia a la España visigoda Vídeo: Hispania, Provincia del Imperio
18 de septiembre	3. La España medieval Vídeo: Invasión Árabe
25 de septiembre	3. La España medieval Vídeo: Alfonso X
2 de octubre	4. Descubrimiento de América
11 de octubre MIÉCOLES	5. El Imperio español en Europa: esplendor Vídeo: La Edad de Oro I
16 de octubre	EXAMEN ESCRITO
23 de octubre	5. El imperio español en Europa: decadencia Vídeo: Velázquez
30 de octubre	6. La instauración del absolutismo y las guerras de independencia Vídeo: Goya
6 de noviembre	7. España: de la restauración absolutista a la crisis de 1898 Vídeo: La Regenta
13 de noviembre	8. De Alfonso XIII a la era de Franco Vídeo: La Guerra Civil españóla
20 de noviembre	8. De Alfonso XIII a la era de Franco Vídeo: Picasso. Dalí
27 de noviembre	9. La España democrática Vídeo: La transición – ENTREGAR ENSAYOS PRENSA
4 de diciembre	11. Panorama político, social y económico y social de la nueva España Vídeo: España vista por El Mundo
11 de diciembre	ENTREGA DEL PROYECTO FINAL

Up-dated: August 2000
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