Assignments

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

This course is writing intensive, and it is essential that you pay close attention to the guidelines and due dates for each writing assignment.  Throughout the course of the semester, you will be assigned a wide range of writing assignments—from free writing to visual analysis, short response papers, and a formal research paper.  Don’t hesitate to discuss your writing with me, during office hours or special appointments.  Periodically, we will conduct writing workshop in class, when you and members of your peer editing group will grapple with specific challenges and help to fine-tune each other’s papers.  In addition, Sara Cohen, is serving as peer mentor for this class, and she will be available for individual conferences throughout the course of the semester.  I do not expect you to be polished writers at the outset of the semester.  I do have the strong expectation that you will work consistently and diligently to improve the clarity and effectiveness of your writing.  Both process and content will be factored into the grades you receive on written work.

The course requires two kinds of writings: informal think writes on assigned materials and formal analysis of specific issues.  All written work should be typed, double-spaced.  Please remember that all assignments should be submitted on the specified dates.

Informal think writes are due every week, on Thursdays.  These must be submitted electronically to the course drop box by 9 am. However, on days when we conduct in-class peer review of think writes you must bring a print copy of your think write to the class.  Think writes constitute fifteen percent of your final grade.

Three formal papers are due during the semester (5-6 pages).  The first two papers are interrelated.  Paper 1 requires the examination of one article from a Scientific American issue from the 1960s; this paper is due on September 21.  Paper 2 requires you to take up the same topic and examine a current issue of Scientific American and offer a comparative analysis of the images prevalent in two issues.  This paper is due on October 7.  The third requires you to examine the Visible Human Project site and analyze some of the images to explore how racial or sexual difference is visually elaborated in the project.  This paper is due on November 2.  These essays must not exceed six pages; they should be researched, incorporate materials from class readings, outside research and should include a bibliography, references, and citations.  Each paper will constitute twenty percent of your final grade.

Your final will comprise a research project on any topic (and any format) that interests you.  This project should explore any aspect of science and visual culture (8-10 pages).  This assignment has been broken up into its constituent elements so you will submit a bibliography for your final paper on November 11 and a week later submit your final paper proposal, one that includes your research question. During the last two class sessions each one of you will make a formal presentation of your final research project.  The research librarians will be able to assist you in this process.  This presentation will constitute 10% of your final grade.   Your final paper is due on December 8 before noon.