1 Exploring Hispanic Cultures II: Professor Victoria Wolff ([email protected]) Spanish 2216F/CLC 2207F Explore Hispanic Culture through diverse case studies in literature, film, popular culture, and digital Spanish. Study with a core faculty member in Hispanic Studies, supported by a stimulating line-up of Guest Speakers, experts in their field. Connect what you learn to your London, Ontario community through Community Service-Learning (CSL). Calendar of Topics: Module I. Language, Literature, Culture, and Our Community Course Beginnings Class 1: What is the landscape of the Spanish language and the Hispanic culture in our community? Class 2: What is CSL? What do our Community Partners do? Music and Social Change: El sistema, from Venezuela to London, Ontario Class 3: What is El sistema? Class 4: How might arts education effect social change in Latin America and around the world? Can music “change life”? Class 5: Applications, Creativity, and Activities Section: Music and Society. Literatura hispanocanadiense: Short Stories, Migration, and Latino Identity Up North. Class 6: What are “short stories”? How do I begin to analyze them? What is the brief history of Hispano-Canadian Literature? Class 7: ¿Te acuerdas? Stories of Memory and Migration from Canada. 2 Class 8: ¿Por qué nos vamos? Stories of Migration and Violence (Past and Present). Class 9: Applications, Creativity, and Activities Section: Author Interview. Due: Portfolio #1 Module II. “Magnetic Personalities”: Christopher Columbus and Frida Kahlo Christopher Columbus (Explorer, Navigator, Colonizer) Class 10: Who was Columbus? What documents are related to his voyage? What is his connection to Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas (“gran defensor de los indígenas”)? Class 11: What is Columbus’ legacy? Class 12: How do artists respond to the legacy of Columbus? Class 13: Applications, Creativity, and Activities Section: Taking a position, debating Columbus. In Our Community, in Our Department Class 14: What is Day of the Dead? Class 15: Applications, Creativity, and Activities Section: Celebrating Day of the Dead. Frida Kahlo (Mexican Painter, Cultural Icon) Class 16: Who was Frida Kahlo? Due: Portfolio #2 Class 17: A Broken Doll? Disability and Maternity in the World of Frida Kahlo. Class 18: Fashion and Frida Kahlo: Can Dress Be More Than Creative Self-Expression? Class 19: Applications, Creativity, and Activities Section: Frida Kahlo. Module III. Future, Technology, and Modern Life in the Spanish-American Short Story. Class 20: Are We What We Read? News, Communication, and “Tiempo libre” by Guillermo Samperio (Mexico). 3 Class 21: What’s at Stake? Humankind and Technological Advances in “La IWM mil” by Alicia Yáñez Cossio (Ecuador). Class 22: Is this Recording?: Technological Devices, Relationships, and “Memoria electrónica” by Mario Benedetti (Uruguay). Class 23: What does the Future Hold? Modern Life and Beyond in “Apocalipsis” by Marco Denevi (Argentina). Class 24: Applications, Creativity, and Activities Section: Love Poems and Other Such Disasters. Class 25: Breakfast and Student’s Choice. Due: Portfolio #3 Evaluations: Students will compile a Portfolio of work for the course. This portfolio will be turned in on three different occasions indicated on the syllabus. Successive assignments grouped together over time will allow both the students and the professor to appreciate individual progress made in the course, the depth and breadth of knowledge and experiences throughout the course, and will materialize coursework completed over the semester into an organized, coherent, and cohesive whole. The portfolio will be assessed using a rubric and comments. The portfolio will be divided into variety of manageable and thoughtprovoking assignments. Chatear (30%): One question or item of interest per week will be posted. These topics aim to connect course material to current events and to student experiences. Students will select a certain number of topics, according to their interests, and respond briefly. The idea is to open up an informal dialogue in Spanish with the professor and with other students. Responses will be printed off and included in the course portfolio for reference. Applications, Creativity, and Activities Projects (35%): These are indicated on the calendar of topics. Students will turn in final versions of these in-class projects in the course portfolio. These projects typically will have a more creative, practical, and/or “hands-on dimension.” Reflections (35%): Students will select from a series of topics for more in-depth reflection. These reflections will be included in the course portfolio. PORTFOLIO Portfolio 1 Chats (≈ 3-4) Projects (2) Reflection #1 CSL Logs Portfolio 2 Chats (≈ 3-4) Projects (2) Reflection #2 CSL Logs Portfolio 3 Chats (≈ 3-4) Projects (1) Reflection #3 CSL Logs CSL Reflection