Section outline

  • Current week
    • How do we make sense of encounters with the new or unfamiliar?
    • How do I develop a paper topic and question? What are the stakes of an argument?

      • WEDNESDAY, Sept. 9

        • Before class:
        • 1) Prepare for class discussion:

        • Read Edward Gorey's book The Doubtful Guest. Copies are for sale in the BMC bookstore.

        • READ: Excerpt from Umberto Eco's book Kant and the Platypus: Essays on Language and Cognition File
        • READ: Active Reading Strategies File

          In college, students read a variety of texts for different purposes. For example, reading an article or short story to discuss in class requires different strategies than reading a textbook chapter before a lecture. This handout provides tips on the kind of deep, engaged reading that will help you prepare for a seminar discussion or write a paper about a text.

        • READ: Participating in Class Discussion File

          Not sure how to join an academic conversation? This handout offers advice on preparing for and participating in class discussions.

        • Read the assignment for the short paper due on Sept. 13 (see below). Have questions about the assignment? Ask in class.