Syllabus

Women's Studies Syllabus

Paradise Honors High School

Teacher- Ms. Bolden

Email – mbolden@paradiseschools.org

Phone Number – (623) 455-7455

Website –www.

Office Hours: By Appointment Wednesdays 2:30-3:30

WOMEN'S STUDIES COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The main focus of this course will be women and their societal advancement through American History. Discussion of the status of women in a more global perspective will occur. Women’s Studies examine the experiences and contributions of diverse groups of women in American society. This course will provide knowledge about the social role of women and their involvement in areas such as health, history, and political activism. The course will also provide knowledge about gender stereotypes and how this affects the learning process.

This course will focus on the lives and work of American women, the significance and meaning of gender at different periods in American history, and the development of U.S. feminism and feminist theory. While our primary focus will be the United States, throughout the course we will also examine women’s experiences and feminist movements across the globe. Central to this course will be the ways in which race, ethnicity, class, and age and generational location shape women’s experiences and the various socio-political meanings of gender. We will also examine the ways in which women have resisted inequality and effected social and political change. This course will be interdisciplinary in its approach, meaning that we will read feminist essays from a wide range of disciplines, including cultural studies, economics, history, philosophy, political theory, psychology, and sociology. In addition, we will watch several videos and films. We will examine key figures and texts in the history of the U.S. women’s movement and U.S. feminism. This history will also help to place our discussion of contemporary feminism and women’s movements in a broader context. Throughout the semester, you will be asked to think through the various definitions of feminism offered in the course and interrogate the meaning of feminism for and in your own lives. This is a course in which class discussion of the readings and films is one of the most important assignments. I expect that you will participate actively in class, ask questions, and challenge the ideas put forward by the texts or class discussions.

CLASS OBJECTIVES:

It is my goal to make this class one of the most meaningful experiences of your high school career. In an effort to do that, I will have to find a way to inspire you to maintain an open mind and a willingness to learn. With that, you will discover a great deal about yourself and a great deal about the world around you, literary and otherwise. Using primary sources as the primary vehicle, with film to augment your experience, you will develop a lens that will allow you to:

- Identify your various identities and the innumerable identities of others

- Broaden your perspective in order to better understand yourself and the world around you

- Learn to analyze and identify the following in and throughout the literature/articles that we are going to read:

o How are women written?

o How do women write?

o How do men see and write women?

o What is the female prototype in literature and how has she evolved?

o How do women write other women?

Supplies: Pens (blue or black), pencils, colored pencils, four highlighters, folder, college-ruled loose-leaf paper (NO fringe please), composition notebook, flash drive (highly recommended). Optional: tablet or laptop. It is strongly recommended that students take advantage of the BYOD (bring your own device) policy as we will be engaging in a wealth of research, writing, and digital community activities throughout the year.

Grading Scale:

Grades are determined by following a standard percentage breakdown as follows:

90-100% A (4.00)

80-89% B (3.00)

70-79% C (2.00)

<69% Failing: No credit shall be earned if a student fails to

achieve 70% or higher.



Assessments and assignments will be weighted as follows:

1. Semester Exam 15%

2. Formative 25%

3. Summative 60%

Technology:

Please refer to the student handbook for the technology student use policy. Students may bring their own technology, including laptops and tablets, to support learning

Make-up and Late Work:

Late work will be accepted for excused absences. Students will be given as many days to complete required missing work as days unattended. Students are responsible to communicate the need for the missing assignments. Students with unexcused late work will be subject to the academic detention policy and the late work will not receive full credit. Please refer to the late policy and academic detention procedures in the student handbook.

Rules

  1. Be on time
  2. Come to class prepared
  3. Raise your hand
  4. Respect others

Consequences

  • Verbal warning
  • Home contact made
  • After-school detention
  • Office referral

Academic Honesty

All graded work must be entirely your own. Any attempt to pass off someone else’s ideas as your own without proper citation is considered plagiarism. Please refer to the Academic Honesty policy in the PHHS Student Handbook for more information.

Thank you for taking the time to read this syllabus. I truly look forward to working with you this school year.



Women's Studies 2019-2020 Course Syllabus Sign Page

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