Welcome to our second week of class, and our first week of our Humanities Criticism unit. Click here for an overview of the entire unit.
Things We Did Last Week
- Got to know each other a little, got set up on the CUNY Commons, reviewed the plan and policies for the semester
- Learned a little bit of Genre Theory– what is genre? What are literary genres vs. “everyday genres”? What genres do we use in our daily lives?
Things Due Before Class on Tuesday (2/9)
Readings:
And here’s a TikTok of an intentionally bad close reading just for fun.
Assignments for Everyone:
- Imaginary resume, posted to site or turned in on Blackboard
Assignments for Structure and Accountability Plan Folks:
- Have an example of humanities content (poem, song, section from a book, clip from a TV show, etc.) ready for us to practice close reading on in class
What We’ll Do in Class on Tuesday (2/9)
- Discuss what you learned from the genre readings
- Do one close reading together
- Breakout rooms to practice close reading in smaller groups using the examples you brought to class
- Annotation notes (due by end of day for Structure and Accountability Option folks)
Things to Do on Async Thursday (2/11)
Readings:
Zinsser, “Writing About the Arts: Critics and Columnists” (PDF)
Review of “Soul” (Movie)
Review of “The Grammarians” (Book)
Review of “Gentleman Jack” (TV Show)
Assignments Due for Everyone:
Review of a Piece of Media (1-2 pages)
Assignments For S/A Grading Plan Folks:
Notes/annotations on the 3 examples of reviews. What do you notice as essential features/norms of the genre of Reviews? If you had to teach someone else how to write a review, just based on these examples and your own prior knowledge, what would you tell them to do?
Preparing for Next Class (2/16)
- Read Twitter threads on Shrek and Shrek 2
- Read this Twitter thread about classical art in Hercules
- Watch this TikTok about the symbolism of werewolves in Harry Potter
- Read this Twitter thread about The Grinch Who Stole Christmas
- Watch Willems, “How Greta Gerwig Revolutionized Little Women”
