Honors 460H: Interdisciplinary Collaborative Research and Creative Writing Experience
A. Course Description and Objectives
1. This seminar, interdisciplinary in approach, will culminate in the
production and publication of a 50-70 page historical novel, including
illustrations and cover design, for a Junior High audience. Students will
use research materials from a variety of academic disciplines, as well
as primary and secondary accounts of the chosen topic, in creating a historical
basis for the novel they will compile. The course will function as a workshop
wherein learners can work together with peers who have different interests
and expertise but who can share knowledge to achieve a common goal.
2. This seminar will focus on a specific topic that is pertinent to
the local area, but also significant enough to be discussed in a state-wide
or national forum. Alternation of topics will be necessary when the course
is repeated. To that end, I will choose one of the following historical
topics for the class to pursue. Each of the topics has its own merits,
and I will determine which topic best fits the requirements and goals of
the class. a. An examination of the "lost town" of Jefferson in north Rutherford
County. The town of Jefferson, which had essentially been declining since
the nineteenth century, was cleared and destroyed during the building of
Percy Priest Lake. The Flood Control Act of 1938 authorized the building
of the Dam, but the actual clearing and demolition of Jefferson did not
begin until 1966. The narrative could focus on a number of aspects surrounding
the dismantling of the town, including the re-settling of the people who
lived there, the moving of the graves, and the gradual decline of the small-town
existence. The Gore Research Center has a wide variety of documents pertaining
to Smyrna and the northern part of the county for the first half of the
century (in fact, Jim Neal said that he considers Smyrna to be "the best
documented town of its size in the country."), so students will be able
to get a feel for the ways of life in that period. In addition, students
will be able to access primary information through interviews of people
who lived in and around the area when the lake was constructed. b. An examination
of the lives of a specific group of immigrants in Murfreesboro. I would
choose between Italian, Jewish, and perhaps German or Irish immigrants
and have the students research the daily struggles these immigrants encountered
in various forums, including business, religion, and social. The focus
of this investigation would date to the turn of the century and incorporate
several of the important events in the town's history. A good body of research
on this topic exists, and again personal interviews of these original immigrants'
children would help create a better defined picture of their day-to-day
lives. c. An investigation of the Native American peoples who lived, hunted,
and fought here for centuries before the white settlers came to the area.
The class would focus on a particular group or chieftain and derive a narrative
that links the past to a contemporary setting. According to Kevin Smith
in Anthropology, a wide body of research exists in this area, including
the files of the Mid-Cumberland Mississippian Project which are in his
possession. This study would incorporate the widely known facts concerning
Native American peoples in this area (Trail of Tears, Nickajack expedition,
Black Fox Spring) with the historical and mythical events that occurred
before the white settlers began keeping records of specific events.
2. Objectives This course seeks to create a collaborative environment where students can engage in a true Writing Across the Curriculum-based interactive learning process. By promoting the use of university-wide resources, as well as those available outside the university, students will be able to combine what they have learned in individual courses with the experience of working cooperatively with members of the larger community. The interdisciplinary nature of this course will enable each student to define, create, and synthesize ideas, both historical and fictional in nature, within a collaborative matrix.
B. Course Justification
1. Honors students may elect this course as a Senior Interdisciplinary
seminar for credit in University Honors and English.
2. This course will be a true WAC experience. Even though students
write papers for a variety of subjects, they often separate the writing
process from the discovery process when they compose essays for classes
other than English. For instance, a History theme paper may have all the
elements of a literary essay, but many students will not consider the paper
as "an English paper." Similarly, research students may conduct for an
essay on a poem or play may be historical in nature, but the paper is not
"a History paper." This course seeks to intertwine a number of disciplines
and challenge the students to create a work that can be "an English paper"
just as easily as it could be "a History paper" or "a Sociology paper."
Many students will eventually encounter collaborative projects in the workplace;
therefore, this course will provide them with firsthand experience with
the joys and frustrations inherent in such situations.
3. Because of the collaborative nature of the class, enrollment will
be limited to twelve students.
4. Because of the intensive research, writing, and revision this course
will generate, students should receive four credit hours. The course will
meet during a usual 75 minute TR time-slot, and also for a 90 minute writing
lab at a time TBA.
C. Course Integrity
1. Prospective students should be upper division students in good standing
with the Honors Program or eligible to take Honors courses. All students
must have completed twelve hours of General Studies English.
2. The instructor for this course will be Ronald Kates from the Department
of English. He has academic training and teaching experience of an interdisciplinary
nature. He has thoroughly researched the subject matter of this course.
3. Available classroom space and equipment are sufficient for the course.
4. No major library acquisitions will be required for the library beyond
the standard allotments to instructors in the English Department.
A. Course Outline and Goals
Weeks 1-6: Planning and research. During this first segment of the
class, students will comprehensively research the given topic, both individually
and collaboratively, and compile the necessary historical materials that
they will implement in the writing process. During this first segment,
students will also evaluate historical children's novels to augment their
audience perspective. I will provide guest speakers who will offer guidance
in the areas of children's literature, historical research, archival research,
collaborative writing, and anthropological research. Students will also
participate in group and individual writing projects that will aid them
in creating and maintaining a sharper focus of the project as a whole.
Weeks 7-12: Drafting and layout. During this period the students will
work to complete a rough draft of the novel. Much of the writing will be
done individually, but the overall decision-making process will be collaborative.
Weeks 13-16: Editing and revising. The final goal for this segment
of the course, as well as for the course as a whole will be the completion
of the final copy, ready for publication. These last four weeks will also
be devoted to workshopping the final draft, but the class will also discuss
placement of illustrations, cover design, and revision plans.
B. Activities Required of Students
1. Students will be required to complete three short papers in addition
to their work on the group project. The three papers will be designed to
augment the larger project. For instance, students may be asked to create
a "historical profile" of a particular character using all of the resources
the group has at its disposal. The group can then choose specific characters
from this assignment for inclusion in the final project. Another paper
may pose a story-line or concept to the individual students and each one
will be responsible for completing this in as comprehensive a manner as
possible. Each student will also be asked to keep a working journal that
will be collected at various points during the semester.
2. Active participation in all aspects of the researching, workshopping,
writing, and editing.
C. Evaluation Procedures and Types of Evidence to be used in Grading
1. Effectiveness in working collaboratively and separately. Each student
will be required to complete a questionnaire at the end of the course that
will evaluate the collaborative experience; if a person is named on more
than two forms as not contributing his/her fair share, his/her grade will
be adversely affected.
2. Performance on three short papers.
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