The Syllabus

Syllabus

The Society and Culture of Major English-Speaking Countries

Spring 2009

Mr. Sean Wood

I. Introduction of class

The Title of this class is “The Society and Culture of Major English-Speaking Countries”. I was instructed to use the book as the content of my class. As this is my first semester teaching this class I might have to adjust some things as we go along as I get a feel for how much my classes understand the material. The textbook is required for the class. If you don’t have the textbook, get one. The book is pretty straightforward and I expect every student to read the chapter we will be discussing before arriving to class. As part of your exposure to western culture this class may include some things that are different from your usual classes here in China. These differences may include myself (yes, I am different than your usual teachers), oral presentations (this is very common in western education), class discussions that will require your participation, being aware of current events, and possible outside research. Naturally, the class will involve some comparative discussions involving Chinese Culture and Western Culture. It is important that we keep our comments respectful and objective.


II. Schedule

As this is my first semester at Huai Hua College, or at any College in China for that matter, I am not accustomed to the semester schedule yet. This is my “tentative” schedule for the semester but it is subject to change. But no matter what unforeseeable obstacles we might run into during the semester, this is the order in which we will proceed. As you can see, week 2 and 3 we will spend time on New Zealand. Weeks 4, 5, and 6 we will cover two units a week each on Canada. From there we will spend the rest of the semester on the United States.

Week 2 Intro to class & Begin on New Zealand

Week 3 New Zealand

Week 4 The Country and Its People & The Government and Politics of Canada

Week 5 The Canadian Mosaic & The Canadian Economy

Week 6 Canadian Literature & Canada’s International Relations

Week 7 American Beginnings

Week 8 The Political System in the United States

Week 9 American Economy

Week 10 Religion in the United States

Week 11 American Literature

Week 12 Education in the United States

Week 13 Social Movements of the 1960s & Social Problems in the United States

Week 14 Technology in America

Week 15 Post-WWII American Foreign Policy

Week 16 Sports and Scenic Spots in the United States & American Music

Week 17 Review for Final Exam


III. Class Rules

It is important to know the class rules at the beginning of the semester so that we will know how to conduct ourselves and so we can maximize our learning experience. These are the rules I have established. We may add more rules as we go through the semester.

Participate! Ask questions! Make comments!
Be on time
Be prepared (bring pen, notebook, and text book
Be ready to discuss the class material (this means read the chapter before class)
Raise hand to make comments, ask questions, or answer questions
Be Respectful of teacher, classmates, and classroom
Be Respectful of others’ opinions
No cell phones or earphones

IV. Grading

As you can see below, exams comprise half of the complete grading score. As you can also see participation is also very important. One can learn much from class discussions.

Final Exam 30%

Mid Term Exam 20%

Participation 20%

Oral Presentation 15%

Homework 15%

(Reading and Current Events)

V. Final Note

I am so excited to be here at Huai Hua College. I hope our experience here together will help us to better understand each other and each other’s culture. If you put forth the effort I am certain that you will not only learn a lot from this class but that this class will leave an impression that will help you in many aspects throughout your life. I look forward to working with you.