Unit 1: First Quilt Section
Unit 1 will introduce students to most of the course concepts and practices this semester. These will include:
- Composing multimodally in digital spaces
- Summarizing and paraphrasing
- Quoting and citation
- Managing assets and attributing authorship to sources
- Composing metadata (titles, categories, tags, etc.) rhetorically
- Conducting primary source research via thick description
- Distinguishing between objective and subjective language moves
- Using terms and readings to understand other readings (application)
- Analyzing, evaluating, and using secondary sources
- Finding secondary and primary sources via metadata
- Engaging in multiple stages of composing processes with awareness and intention
- Participating in the composing processes of fellow writers
Readings
Unit 1 Readings
Primary reading: Kenneth Haltman, “Introduction” to _American Artifacts_, paying careful attention to his description and discussion of Prown’s object analysis assignment. Supplemental reading: (choose one)
- “The Secret to Good Writing: It’s About Objects, Not Ideas,” John Maguire
- “A Terminal Condition: The Cathode Ray Tube’s Strange Afterlife,” by Josh Lepawsky and Charles Mather
- “What Is a Machete, Anyway?,” John Cline
- “Material Culture,” by Sophie Woodward
- “3-D print your way to freedom and prosperity,” by Jathan Sadowski
Consider doing more reading responses for participation points!
Due Dates for Unit 1
Events
Visit to the NAMES project:
Tuesday, 23 January. 2:30 – 3:45
Meet at the NAMES project headquarters:
Unit 2: Second Quilt Section
Unit 2 offers opportunity to practice and revise skills and concepts introduced in unit 1.
Readings
Unit 2 Readings
Primary reading: Arola, Sheppard, Ball, _Writer/Designer_, Ch. 1: “What Are Multimodal Projects?”
Secondary readings (choose one): (click for link)
- “Deaf Community Outraged After a Sign Language Interpreter Signed Nonsense During Hurricane Irma Press Conference,” by Maria Pasquini
- “The inside story of Terminus, the new dance company by five ex-Atlanta Ballet dancers,” by Scott Freeman
- “Pink ‘Pussyhat’ Creator Addresses Criticism Over Name,” by Julie Compton (Editor’s Note: This article contains slang that some may find offensive)
- “Talking to the Future — Hey, There’s Nuclear Waste Buried Here!,” by James Conca
- “Forty Years Later, the Golden Record Goes Vinyl,” by Marina Koren
Consider doing more reading responses for participation points!
Due Dates for Unit 2
Reading Response: Due 2 March, Friday, midnight
Primary Source Description: Due 9 March, midnight
Five Annotated Bibliographies: Due 23 March, midnight
Events
Visit to the GSU library archives: TBA
Unit 3: Final Analysis Essay
Unit 3 offers students an opportunity to synthesize what they’ve learned and practice during units 1 & 2 to produce a deeply-considered, cogent, well-developed and organized essay communicating something specific about the AIDS epidemic as it relates to or stems from the material culture of the AIDS quilt.
Readings
Unit 3 Readings (optional)
Primary Reading: Howard Rheingold, _Net Smart_, Ch. 1 Secondary Readings:
- “Mystery of Russian Fake on Facebook Solved, by a Brazilian,” by Scott Shane
- “How terrorists recruit online (and how to stop it),” by J.M. Berger
- “The Brief, Tumultuous Reign Of An Erstwhile Best-Seller,” by Colin Dwyer
- “Advances in AI are used to spot signs of sexuality,” in The Economist
- “Digital Redlining, Access, and Privacy,” by Chris Gilliard and Hugh Culik
Consider doing more reading responses for participation points!
