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English 212, section 16 -- Topics in Critical Writing--Bablyon 5: Envisioning the Future

Our look at the future will be in various modes. We will do some research on the future, watch shows that depict the future, read about the future, and envision the future as presented by what we have read, seen, and imagined about it.

Overview and Objectives :: Homework & Schedule :: Assignments & Grading

Shhh! Charlene is trying to nap!

ENGL212: Emphasizes processes of critical reading and writing, as applied to several modes of communication. Frequent writing assignments for different audiences, with attention to disciplinary conventions and rhetorical strategies for argument in academic discourse. Workshop approaches. Includes work in developing research questions and using library and electronic resources. Refines abilities to analyze both student and professional texts. Specific content for reading may be organized by theme. Sample topics: Introduction of Rhetoric, Reading Media, Writing About the Holocaust, Writing in Cyberspace. (Cross-listed with ENGL 285.) Prerequisite: ENGL 111

Overview:
How do you envision the future? We will be reading a book, Patternmaster, examining articles, online commentary, and the television series Babylon 5 to analyze how the future is depicted. In-class and online discussions, written papers, and visual critiques or interpretations will be components of this course. These documents will be critical reflections and responses to Babylon 5 as a utopic or dystopic society. VSpace will supplement this syllabus as a place for online discussion and analysis of visual representations. A visual project will be submitted that presents the student's concept of the future, or offers a critique on one of the Babylon 5 episodes, or offers a critique of Patternmaster. This project will consist of a short movie. The movie and a critical analysis on its composition and purpose will be a part of the B5 project portfolio.

Course objectives are designed to enable students to:

• develop strategies for for critical reading and analysis of visual texts
• create a visual project that formulates a critical response to class discussions and readings

If you need to contact me by e-mail at "fidallas@svsu.edu," the subject line should contain your last name, course and section number to prevent your e-mail from being misplaced as possible spam.

NOTE: All responses and work for the course (B5 course portfolio) will be burned to CD and turned in at the final exam period. (This CD will be your *ticket* to entrance to the final).

Required Texts:

• John Fiske and John Hartley, Reading Television, 2nd ed, Taylor & Francis, 2003, ISBN 0415323533
• Octavia Butler, Patternmaster, Aspect, 1995, ISBN: 0446362816 -or- Octavia Butler, Seed to Harvest, Warner Books, 2007, ISBN: 0446698903

Other resources:
Student Technology Center, 2nd Floor, Zahnow Library http://www.svsu.edu/library/stc/
The Writing Center, Science East 123 http://www.svsu.edu/writingcenter/

Course weekly schedule:
Activities are DUE on the date indicated by the course schedule. Please review to plan your time wisely.

Technology profile -- 5 points:
Design/write a paper based on the following structure and content:
Structure--One page; One image; and At least 300 words.
Content--Discuss you (likes, interests, pet peeves, etc.); What is your major & why are you taking this class?; Why are you taking this class at 8:30 a.m.???; Do you like cats (specifically Rex and Charlene)?

Syllabus response -- 5 points:
Read over the syllabus, including attendance and grading. Comment on things you like and things you don't like. Address any questions that you have. We will talk about these items in class if you choose. Please see the format below for written responses.

Discussion -- 10 points:
Your contribution to class discussion (in-class and online) is important. If you have written something that you want to share with the class, just read it from your paper.

Babylon 5 episode/Patternmaster responses: Reading about/watching the future -- 35 points:
Octavia Butler's Patternmaster, a novel first written in 1976, has some interesting commentary on telepaths and mental telepathy. The Babylon 5 television series also takes a look at telepaths. This is one aspect that can be addressed in your response papers. These papers are designed to be critical responses to watching or reading about the future as depicted in Babylon 5, the television series or Patternmaster. Babylon 5 begins with a voice-over:

It was the dawn of the Third Age of Mankind, ten years after the Earth-Minbari War. The Babylon Project was a dream given form. It's goal: to prevent another war by creating a place where humans and aliens could work out their differences peacefully. It's a port of call, a home away from home for diplomats, hustlers, entrepreneurs and wanderers: humans and aliens wrapped in two million, five hundred thousand tons of spinning metal, all alone in the night. It can be a dangerous place, but it's our last, best hope for peace.

This is the story of the last of the Babylon stations.The year is 2258.

The name of the place is Babylon 5.

Weekly critical analysis papers will examine some aspect of the episodes for the week and discuss those issues. In order to keep details handy, students will receive a "notes sheet" which will have a brief synopsis of the episode for that day. They can jot down important points, or questions that they may have. We can discuss these in class. The weekly critical analysis papers will discuss an aspect of the episode in more detail. You may choose to use the Reading Television assignment as a focus for your comments, compare aspects of Patternmaster, or make connections with contemporary issues. No response paper turned in translates into a "zero." These responses will not be accepted late unless you have a valid and documented excuse.

References:
Killick, Jane. Babylon 5 Season by Season: Signs and Portents. New York: DelRey, 1997.
Lane, Andy. The Babylon File: The Definitive Unauthorised Guide to J . Michael Straczynski’s TV Series Babylon 5. London, Virgin, 1997.

Each response paper will be typed, single-spaced, with one-inch margins, and the top of the paper should be formatted as such:

[your name]
English 212-16
Dr. Dallas
[date]

Then skip a line and center the following:

[title of B5 episode or chapter of Patternmaster]

Skip another line and begin your paper. Your paper should be at least one page, but not more than one page. When directed, put your paper in the VSpace drop box. You should name your file by this format: [lastname+episode number], or "Dallas2." Please ensure your original file has the same name, or change it in the Properties box in the document.

Gen Ed cat 10 assessment -- 5 points:
The general education, category 10 (written communication) assessment will evaluate your ability to read, critique, and analyze a written text.

Visual project and critique: Envisioning the future -- 25 points:
One major outcome of this course will be to fashion our version of the future. Students will consider the various viewpoints we have studied on the future, and generate their response by creating a three- to five-minute Windows Movie Maker movie, or a Mac iMovie. Accompanying this visual project will be a one- or two-page analysis paper that discusses the movie project composition and purpose.

As a project guide to this movie short, we will generate a storyboard to help plan the images, the music, and the voice-overs in the creation of this project.

The first step to creating a movie about the future is to plan it. Having a focus or guideline gives the project structure. Using the storyboard process makes this easier. First, think about what you want to say. Then draw rough pictures of each frame of thought, adding comments as dialog or music background. Think about the transitions that you want to have when moving from scene to scene. Having these ideas in mind and plans on paper BEFORE you start composing them on the computer will save you hours of frustration.

B5 Portfolio -- 10 points:
Your technology profile, Babylon 5 episode/Patternmaster responses, and visual project and critique will be burned to CD. This item is due at the final exam period.

Final exam -- 10 points:
The final exam details will be provided during the examination period.