Class Schedule
Week of August 26
- Day One: About the course. What do YOU know about the Space Race? What is your big question about it, to guide your exploration this semester?
- Day Two: Destination Moon Trailer , The Right Stuff Trailer, & Wolfe, "One Giant Leap to Nowhere" (because of rights issues, you need to get this from a computer on campus). By sure to e-mail me your "Big Question" soon.
Week of September 2
Start looking at Space.com and Space Daily regularly for quick news about today's Space Race. You might begin to integrate findings into your notes for the Exploration Missions and Research Proposal.
- Day One: Wolfe, The Right Stuff, Foreword & Chapters 1-5
- Day Two: Wolfe, The Right Stuff, Chs. 6-11. Have a copy of Mission One with you in class, since we will run through the checklist for what you need to do, one final time. Thus...
LAUNCH DELAY LAUNCH DELAY for final practice with the checklist. Details in class. Mission 1 due by Friday noon or late-work penalties apply.
Week of September 9
- Day One: Wolfe, The Right Stuff, Chs. 12-Epilogue. Practice with critical questions. For what it's worth, Chuck Yeager himself must have liked Wolfe's version of the crash in the NF-104. He excerpts the passage unedited at his Web Site. Two clips from the film (Gordon Cooper + Yeager's takeoff & his crash).
- Day Two: Writing Workshop: Bring TWO printed copies of your Mission 1, submitted last week (use a copy without my comments and grade). Read Graff & Birkenstein Parts 1 and 2 (up to page 101) ; also read Professor Wright's and my advice about thesis statements. Be sure to watch Professor Wright's video there. Our in-class worksheet is here (no need to do anything with it until class).
Week of September 16 Walk-in meetings available at the Writing Center for help with Mission Two.
- Day One: Hansen, First Man, Preface, Prologue, Chs. 7-21. Read my take on Armstrong, too. Turn in the final step (#16) from last Thursday's in-class worksheet to me by e-mail, by class time.
- Day Two: Hansen, First Man, Chs. 22-26 . Also have a look at this short home movie of the NYC parade for the astronauts.
Week of September 23
- Day One: Chazelle, dir. First Man (must be on campus network to view film. Off campus you will need to connect via VPN). Mission 2 due by class time (it may focus on the film or book First Man).
- Day Two: Writing Workshop in Class: Read Graff & Birkenstein Chs. 3-5. More work with the idea of governing claims (aka Thesis statements). In-class workshop on the analysis essay draft.
Week of September 30
- Day One: Klushantsev, dir. Road to the Stars. Also read this short, but gripping piece by Alexi Leonov, about his near death during and after his orbital mission and space-walk. These were the two cosmonauts who landed in a tree. Some Soviet Right Stuff, certainly! In-Class work with Klushantsev's film
- Day Two: Kurson, Rocket Men, Chs. 1-7. In class critical-question work.
- Analysis Essay Draft due by class time. Sign up for Meeting with your Writing Consultant here
Week of October 7 : Meetings with Writing Consultants (Schedule here)
- Day One: Kurson, Rocket Men, Chs. 8-17. Part I of two-part exercise in class. Part II due in the next class.
- Day Two: Kurson, Rocket Men, Chs. 18-end. Also watch (30 min) Vaughan-Lee, Dir. Earthrise. Finish two-part exercise.
October 11-15: Fall Break
Week of October 14
- Day One: Fall Break
- Day Two: Pitchel, dir. Destination Moon and...a little artistry from Sir Richard Branson.
Revision of Analysis Essay due by class time
Week of October 21
- Day One: Pitchel, dir. Destination Moon (to be continued). Big Q reflections...
- Day Two: Visit to class by Mr. Chris Cosner, aerospace engineer and Raytheon Engineering Fellow.
Week of October 28
- Day One: Pitchel, dir. Destination Moon (the finale!)
- Day Two: Class canceled (I must attend a funeral)
Midterm will be available Th afternoon. Due Monday Nov. 4 by 9am to me via e-mail as Word, Pages, PDF, or Google Doc.
Week of November 4
- Day One: Howard, dir. Apollo 13 (must be on campus network to view film. Off campus you will need to connect via VPN).
- Day Two: Writing Workshop in Boatwright Library B26. Please bring a laptop. Dr. Marcia Whitehead will help us get ready for the first draft of the Research Proposal.
Week of November 11 Meet with Writing Consultants on drafts of research proposals (Schedule is here)
- Day One: Ballard, "The Man Who Walked On The Moon." Class exercise on the story.
- Day Two: Gray, Angle of Attack, Author's Note, Introduction, Chs. 8-12. In-class flight simulation for Mission Four.
- Crew Pages: Ryland One | Ryland Two | Ryland Three | Ryland Four Mission Profiles
First draft of Research Proposal due by class
Week of November 18
- Day One: Gray, Angle of Attack, Chs. 13-end + Epilogue . In-class group work.
- Day Two: Melfi, dir. Hidden Figures (must be on campus network to view film. Off campus you will need to connect via VPN). In class worksheet here.
Mission 3 due by class time (see special topic at Mission Page).
Week of November 25
Monday, 9am: second draft of Research Proposal due for my review
- Day One: Weir, The Martian Chs. 1-6. In-class work on book.
- Day Two: Thanksgiving Break
Week of December 2
- Day One: Weir, The Martian Chs. 7-20. In class work here and here.
- Day Two: Weir, The Martian. Chs. 21-end. Final work linked to Mission Four.
- Mission 4 due by Friday, Dec. 6, 9am. No Pet-Peeve revisions will be permitted. Plan accordingly, check my Pet Peeves list, and get a classmate to read your work aloud to you. Return the favor.
- Course evaluations portal is here.
Final Draft of Research Proposal Due Monday, December 9, by 5pm. Be sure to read aloud, check my Pet Peeves list, and double-check author names. You will not be able to revise these after the due date for any Pet Peeves.
