For Monday, December 1

1. Find a book from the Queens College library that's related to your research topic. Write the citation on your group wiki, a 3-4 word summary of the book's relevance, and bring the book to class on Monday.

2. We will meeting in Powermaker Hall 208 on Monday and Wednesday.

3. Class is cancelled on Wednesday, Nov. 26.

Monday, November 24

Monday's class will be held at the library. We'll be meeting with librarian Michael Miller to learn about research techniques, in room 101A (downstairs to the bottom floor) in the Rosenthal Library. See you there at 4pm. Do not be late.

Essay #3 : A Short History of X

Your final essay for this course will be a carefully researched history of something that we don’t often think of as having a history: cultural institutions, concepts, and inventions that we usually take for granted. A list of possible topics is below.

Since this will be a research-intensive process, we are going to take a slightly different approach: you will be assigned to a group of three or four students, and as a team you will choose a topic and conduct research. Your research must presented in an annotated bibliography on a group wiki (created on Google Sites). Each of you will be responsible for reporting on at least one source related to the topic (Wikipedia does not count). Then, using these sources, each of you will write your own 4-5 page paper on your group topic using a wiki format. Finally, you will compose a short (3-4 minute) video that briefly presents your topic.

Possible Topics

Parks
Libraries
Resorts
Bars / Taverns
Hotels / Inns
Subways
Cemeteries
Sewers
Weekends
Hitchhiking
Sneakers
Keys
Pets
Birthdays
Chewing Gum
Soup
IDs
Money
Receipts
Magazines
Fandom
Dentistry
Grades
Composition classes

For Monday, November 17

1. Post a comment on Erik's blog, Samuel's blog, or Yan's blog. If you are Samuel, Erik, or Yan, write a post that analyzes your ad in 300 words.

2. If you're not one of the three mentioned above, write a post that analyzes your ad in 150 words.

3. Bring in 3 copies of your second paper following the instructions given for its format and content.

For Wednesday, November 12

1. Type up your explanation of how myth works in advertising.

2. Find another ad for your theme and post it on your blog.

3. By Wednesday at noon, email me your thesis statement for your next paper. Also, send me a link to an advertisement that you will use to support your argument and briefly explain how it does so.

4. Post a comment on Esther's blog or Nicholas' blog. If you are Esther or Nicholas, write a post that analyzes your ad in 300 words.

5. If you're not Esther or Nicholas, write a post that analyzes your ad in 150 words.

U.S. Army Recruitment Commercial


Coca-Cola Commercials




Commercial for Canadian Tourism

For Monday, November 10

1. Type up your analysis of the Garnier Fructis ad.

2. Find another ad for your theme and post it on your blog.

3. Read this essay by Roland Barthes, "Myth Today." Much of class on Monday will be spent discussing how we can apply Barthes' theories.

4. Post a comment on Stephen's blog or Diana's blog. If you are Diana or Stephen, write a post that analyzes your ad in 300 words.

5. If you're not Diana or Stephen, write a post that analyzes your ad in 150 words.