Syllabus

Course Description

This course aims to examine the development of Latin American literature and related visual documentation from the 15th to the 20th century. Special attention is given to 19th- and 20th-century authors. We will read the course materials regarding their historical and political context and examine literary forms, genres, and techniques. This course is designed for students interested in learning more about Latin American culture, expressed through literature, documentaries, and the visual arts. You will have the opportunity to appreciate works by prominent Latin American authors and exercise your own analytical and creative abilities. The course will be taught in English, but the instructor will reference the original texts in Spanish. The minimum technological requirements for fully online sections of this course are a working camera and microphone. Students are expected to turn on cameras and microphones at their instructor’s request.

Flexible core: World Cultures & Global Issues

Credits / Hours: 3

Prerequisites: PRE/COREQ: ENG1101 or ENG1101CO or ENG1101ML    

Learning Outcomes

This course is a survey of Latin American Literature and it prepares students for future more specialized considerations of Latin American literatures.

By the end of the semester students should be able to:

• Identify the stylistic, thematic, and political characteristics of the different literary genres and movements occurred in Latin American from the 15th century to contemporary times
• Recognize and be able to comment on the work of the most representative Latin American writers in the history of Latin American literature
• Gain an understanding of Latin American literatures and cultures, as well as an awareness and sensitivity for global cultural diversity
• Analyze and discuss the role that race, ethnicity, class, gender, language, sexual orientation, belief, or other forms of social differentiation play in world cultures or societies
• Gather, interpret, and assess information from a variety of sources and points of view
• Produce well-reasoned written or oral arguments using evidence to support conclusions
• Communicate effectively and present a point of view and arguments in an understandable, organized, and culturally appropriate way

Teaching and Learning Methods

This course follows a flipped classroom pedagogical approach, which means that you must prepare homework and assignments beforehand and be ready to actively participate and share your ideas and comments on the readings. In-class time is reserved for group presentations, class discussion, answering students’ questions, clarifying concepts, and above all for applying what you have learned from the homework. You will be assigned homework on a weekly basis to complete either individually, in pairs, or small groups. Please expect to work at least 5-6 hours per week outside of the classroom to complete homework. Following this blended method ensures that students take responsibility for their own learning process and knowledge acquisition.

Use of Technology and Communication

Please check your City Tech email and Blackboard on a daily basis since you will receive essential information on the course, as well as updates and changes. Failure to do so is every student’s responsibility and the consequences may impact final grades. CUNY guidelines state that all communication between students and the professor must be through City Tech email addresses. The professor will only use her City Tech email address as the primary means of communication and will make every effort to answer email messages promptly, usually within a 12-hour window during the week (expect a delayed reply on weekends). Any other electronic devices, like cellphones, must be turned off when the virtual class begins and remain off when the class is in session, unless otherwise indicated by the professor.

Course Materials

All readings and course materials are available on this site where you can find the readings, homework, and activities assigned per class session at no cost for students. Please check the OpenLab site on a weekly basis to know what topics will be covered and what materials you need to prepare beforehand.

Assessment Overview and Grading

1. Moderated discussion and presentation on a reading (10%)

Once during the semester, each student will prepare a report with discussion questions on an assigned text. Each student should distribute a handout (1-2 pages) that summarizes his/her ideas to share with classmates. They should also prepare a PowerPoint/google slide presentation (about 5-6 slides) to share with the class and be prepared to answer peers’ questions at the end of the presentation. Both documents will be sent to the instructor via email by the day of the presentation. If a student wants to receive feedback from the professor beforehand, please email her both documents at least 24 hours before the presentation. The presentation should last approximately 10 minutes, and it will be followed by a 5-minute discussion with the entire group. The presenters are allowed to have notes (bullet points) as a reminder during the presentation, but they are not allowed to simply read the text in front of the class. The texts and the dates for the presentations will be assigned during the first-class meeting. There is no make-up opportunity for the presentation with no exceptions.

2. Midterm exam (10%)

This exam covers all content covered up until the date of the exam, and serves to evaluate students’ understanding of readings, concepts, and cultural topics. This exam will be administered via Blackboard on the date indicated on the syllabus.

3. Final exam (10%)

This exam covers all content covered from the midterm until the end of the semester, and serves to evaluate students’ understanding of readings, concepts, and cultural topics. This exam will be administered via Blackboard on the date indicated on the syllabus.

Make-up policy for the midterm and final exam: When absent on the day of the examination, a student is allowed to take the examination during the instructor’s office hours only in case of documented emergencies (Please see below the Accessibility Statement). Students who contact the instructor after they have missed the exam will not be allowed to make-up the exam.

4. Participation & Preparation (20%)

Coming prepared means connecting to the virtual classroom on time, reading carefully before class, taking notes, and preparing questions and/or reflections from the texts. This grade will be impacted negatively if students fail to answer instructor’s questions, participate in class discussion, or complete the specified homework and classwork.

Participation is an essential part of the learning process and is required of all enrolled students. Simply logging into class does not constitute participation. Participation means maintaining an active presence in the class by answering questions from the instructor, volunteering for and participating in class discussions, and keeping cameras and microphones on as required by the instructor. It is highly recommended that students attend instructor’s office hours to ask about the course development, discuss specific assignments or check in if they need to. Each student will receive a participation grade per week based on their work in class and preparation. At the halfway point of the semester each student will receive a tentative participation and contribution grade with comments from the professor with suggestions on how to improve class performance.

5. Homework & Reading comprehension guides (25%)

This course follows the format of a seminar, which means that it is a collaborative effort between instructor and students. Students are expected to actively participate in class discussion and complete the homework and assignments specified on the OpenLab before connecting to class, whether it is completing a reading, answering the reading comprehension guides, participating in weekly online discussions, or preparing a short presentation. The appropriate readings should be brought to each class session with questions, reflections, and comments. All homework must be submitted on time unless you have prior permission from your professor due to illness or extreme circumstances. Late submission of any homework/classwork assignments is not accepted.

6. Writing ePortfolio (25%)

Over the course of the semester, students will work on an individual ePortfolio through the OpenLab that will include writing assignments for each module. Students will develop and revise their ePortfolios as the semester progresses, and in-class time will be devoted to this project. Each student will informally share their experience with their ePortfolio during the last meeting. The final ePortfolio should include:

• Critical reflections: Students will write four (4) critical reflections on four different texts of their choice throughout the semester (one reflection per module). Each reflection should be 2-pages long, typed, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12, one-inch margins. Each student decides their topic, which must be related to the texts and cultural topics covered in class. The objective of this exercise is twofold. First, it allows students to reflect on the topics and texts studied, and second, it is an exercise that puts written academic composition into practice. The reflections will be submitted through Blackboard on the dates indicated in the Course Schedule. No late submissions will be accepted. After students receive feedback from the professor, they will revise their critical reflection and upload a final version to their ePortfolios.
• Creative writing assignments: As part of each module, students will participate in four (4) different creative writing activities, either individually or in small groups. The final product of each creative writing activity will be uploaded to students’ ePortfolios during each module.
• Personal evaluation of the course: Students will write a final 1-page, double-spaced report in which they evaluate the course and how it has changed, challenged and/or impacted their understanding of literature. It can be about a work or a topic that impressed them; about their general progress in the course; about unresolved questions they may have; etc.

NOTE: You can check your overall course grade throughout the semester on Blackboard’s Grade Center. At the halfway point of the semester, you will be assigned a midterm grade, informing you about the performance in the course, based on work completed to date. This grade is not entered into your transcript but serves as important guidance – reassuring students whose performance is satisfactory and informing others who may need to take corrective actions to improve in the course.

College and Department Policies

Plagiarism and NYCCT Academic Integrity Policy

“Students and all others who work with information, ideas, texts, images, music, inventions, and other intellectual property owe their audience and sources accuracy and honesty in using, crediting, and citing sources. As a community of intellectual and professional workers, the College recognizes its responsibility for providing instruction in information literacy and academic integrity, offering models of good practice, and responding vigilantly and appropriately to infractions of academic integrity. Accordingly, academic dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York and at New York City College of Technology and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension, and expulsion.” (See pp. 73-76 in the student handbook).

The following are some examples of plagiarism:

• Copying another person’s actual words without the use of quotation marks and footnotes attributing the words to their source.
• Presenting another person’s ideas or theories in your own words without acknowledging the source.
• Using information that is not common knowledge without acknowledging the source.
• Failing to acknowledge collaborators on homework and laboratory assignments.
• Internet Plagiarism includes submitting downloaded term papers or parts of term papers, paraphrasing or copying information from the internet without citing the source, and “cutting and pasting” from various sources without proper attribution.

Accessibility Statement

City Tech is committed to supporting the educational goals of enrolled students with disabilities in the areas of enrollment, academic advisement, tutoring, assistive technologies, and testing accommodations. If you have or think you may have a disability, you may be eligible for reasonable accommodations or academic adjustments as provided under applicable federal, state and city laws. You may also request services for temporary conditions or medical issues under certain circumstances. If you have questions about your eligibility or would like to seek accommodation services or academic adjustments, you can leave a voicemail at 718 260 5143, send an email to Accessibility@citytech.cuny.edu or visit the Center’s website http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/accessibility/ for more information.

N.B., Students who miss a scheduled presentation or exam due to illness or medically related emergencies will be referred to the Center for Student Accessibility. The CSA will review any documentation requested and give the student a letter to share with the relevant instructor if accommodations need to be made.

Humanities Department Attendance Policy

It is the conviction of the Humanities Department that a student who is not in a class for any reason is not receiving the benefit of the education being provided. Missed class time includes not just absences but also lateness, early departures, and time outside the Zoom classroom taken by students during class meeting periods. Missed time impacts any portion of the final grade overtly allocated to participation and/or any grades awarded for activities that relate to presence in class.

Absence is failure to attend any part of the online session, from roll call to dismissal. Please note that sleeping, not showing up, or not turning on your camera when indicated by the instructor means that you are not present in the class; the same is applied to unauthorized use of electronic devices, leaving during online meetings, or leaving early without previous notice.

It is the students’ responsibility to keep track of their absences. The instructor can be asked to review her records, but no reminders or warnings should be expected from her. Joining the class more than 10 minutes late counts as an absence.

Humanities Department Commitment to Student Diversity

The Humanities Department complies with the college wide nondiscrimination policy and seeks to foster a safe and inclusive learning environment that celebrates diversity in its many forms and enhances our students’ ability to be informed, global citizens. Through our example, we demonstrate an appreciation of the rich diversity of world cultures and the unique forms of expression that make us human.

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