Class Requirements and Assignments

• Movie Quiz 20% of final grade 4 per semester
Each quiz will have ten short answer questions about specifics of the lectures, discussion sections, films, and readings. See assignment schedule/course guide below for information about material covered in each quiz. Student responses should not be longer than 50-75 words.

• Written responses 35% of grade 4 per semester.
Initial prep for writing responses
Response 1 Due January 21th 7% (35 points)
Summary of handouts from the Center for the Study and Teaching for Writing due in class.

Response 2 Due January 28th 7% (35 points)
Write a 500 word essay on what you know about Bollywood and how it has influenced your life. If this is your first introduction to Bollywood, write about how cinema interacts with the human experience and how it has interacted with your experience as a human. Also write about what you think you will learn from this course outside of the obvious material that is listed in the syllabus.

Response 3 Due February 18th 7% (35 points)
We have talked in class about the pitfalls that binaries can create. Pick a reading and a film and comment on how the reading helped you understand or break down the binaries (or established ideas about some socio-cultural phenomenon) that the film (or a scene in the film) presented.

Response 4 Part 1 due March 22nd, Part 2 due March 24th 7% (35 points)
Prepare a quiz that has ten short questions. The questions should not be about content, they should be about concepts. This is a two part assignment. Students bring the 1st draft of their question class on a Tuesday, March 22nd and have it looked over by a classmate. Based on the suggestions made by the classmate and the instructor, students rewrite the quiz and submit the final version on Thursday, March 24th. While writing the quiz, keep in mind what you want the students to answer. What is your real question? What are you accessing and how?

Response 5 Due April 14th 7% (35 points) Identify the main thesis of two course reading and to outline 3 reasons you believe it and 3 reasons you doubt it. The idea behind this assignment is to encourage students to think more analytically and complexly (rather than just going with your gut reaction). This assignment should be about two single spaced pages long.

• Video response 15% of final grade 1 per semester.
Students work in a group with three other students and come up with a video response to two readings and two films that most interest them. The video response is not just a response that is recorded; it should be a well thought of response in a format that is thought provoking. For example, it can be a scene from a movie you recreate as a group by altering what you see as a problem with the scene, or it could be panel discussion among five film critics about the content and message of the film(s) in question. Discuss your idea about video responses with the instructor.

• Participation 10% of final grade.
To get the most out of this class, you must participate. Participation does not mean just coming to every class. It means that you will be an active discussant during discussion sections. To be a participant in class, students should raise questions that are relevant to the material, be a team player, and be courteous to others and other viewpoints.

• Take home final exam 25% of final grade.
The comprehensive final exam will consist of five essay questions based on films, readings, lectures, and discussions the students have familiarized themselves with during the semester. Since the readings are informed by films that the students have seen during the semester, the essay questions will challenge students to form connections between what they read in academic book and articles and what was presented to them in the form of films. Students will have one week to write the take home final exam.

Grading, Attendance, and other Policies

• Class attendance policy
If you miss more than one class in the course of the semester for any reasons other than medical or family emergencies (for which you will provide written proof), your grade will go down one full letter grade. Being late by more than two minutes will count as an absence. Leaving early for reason other than a family or medical emergency (for which you can provide written proof) will count as an absence.

• Grade Calculation Summary
Movie quiz 20% 100 points 4 quizzes, 25 points each
Written responses 35% 175 points 5 responses, 35 points each
Video response 15% 75 points 1 video
Participation 10% 50 points
Take-home final exam 20% 100 points
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Total 100% 500 points

• Grading scale
A (93-100) A- (90-92) B+ (87-89) B (83-86) B- (80-82) C+ (77-79) C (73-76) C- (70-72) D+ (67-69) D (60-66) E (below 60)

• Academic misconduct statement: It is the responsibility of the Committee on Academic Misconduct to investigate or establish procedures for the investigation of all reported cases of student academic misconduct. The term "academic misconduct" includes all forms of student academic misconduct wherever committed; illustrated by, but not limited to, cases of plagiarism and dishonest practices in connection with examinations. Instructors shall report all instances of alleged academic misconduct to the committee (Faculty Rule 3335-5-487). For additional information, visit the Office of Student Life.

• Disability statement: Students with disabilities that have been certified by the Office for Disability Services will be appropriately accommodated, and should inform the instructor as soon as possible of their needs. The Office for Disability Services is located in 150 Pomerene Hall, 1760 Neil Avenue; telephone 292- 3307, TDD 292-0901. For more information visit Disability Services.