GERMAN 270 

FROM THE GRIMMS TO DISNEY:

GERMANIC FAIRY TALES & U.S. POPULAR CULTURE

courses.umass.edu/germ270/

Spring 2009.  TuTh 4-5:15. ESCS II. Room 119.

This course focuses on selected fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm (Hansel & Gretel, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Iron Hans) and Hans Christian Andersen (Little Sea Maid), locating them in the 19th-century German or Danish culture of their origins and then examining how they became transformed into perennial favorites of U.S. popular culture through their adaptations by Disney (feature animation films), children’s media, or bestselling self-help books (Iron John). As a point of comparison, this course will also introduce two fairy-tale films of the former East Germany (GDR) from the UMass DEFA archives & library, which present the same stories as popular fare in a Cold War socialist cultural context.

Professor:   Susan Cocalis, e-mail address: cocalis@german.umass.edu. Campus tel. 5-6673 (main office: 5-2350). Office: Herter 525. Office hours: Wednesday most of the day; before or after class or by arrangement.

Teaching Assistant/Grader:
Laurie Taylor (grad): office = Herter 510, tel. 5-2350 (main office): will assist with class web site, audio-visual materials, interactive activities, and the grading of papers. Office hours by arrangement. e-mail: lktaylor@german.umass.edu

Latte (non-degree): My dog Latte comes to school with me, so she is often in my office. If you are allergic to dogs or afraid of them, please contact me and I can arrange to meet you elsewhere.

Course Materials:

All assigned texts (see course schedule) are available in two locations: the course website “courses.umass.edu/germ270” and on the course u-drive: u-drive/germ270. In the information handout provided at the beginning of the semester, there are instructions (url, user, password) for accessing the folder on the website.

Films and film clips relevant to the course will also be available on the u-drive.

There is no course packet this semester. There is no e-reserve. The readings have been changed from past semesters.

Course Format:

Lectures:  Due to the large size of this course, the lecture format will be the standard teaching method. Students are invited to contribute in the form of comments, questions, or suggestions either during or outside of class. Guest speakers, references to current events, visual material (slides/transparencies), and films will supplement the lectures. An abbreviated outline of each day’s lecture will be available on the website linked to the course schedule to assist in note-taking.

Topics in the News: At the beginning of each class, I will bring in news stories, advertisements, illustrations, cartoons, etc. that relate what we are discussing in the course to current events or popular media images. You are welcome to submit anything you find interesting and relevant. (I give extra credit for this if you put your name on it.)

Film Clips: Short video clips illustrating lecture topics will be shown during most sessions, and classes will conclude with a short video clip. These are considered a part of the class materials. Please do not leave before the final filmclip.

Honors Section:  There will be a 1-credit honors section to be scheduled on Wednesdays at 1.25. You do not have to be in Commonwealth College to register. The colloquium can be added online under “German H 02.” Students in this section will have an opportunity to discuss the readings and lectures in greater depth. Requirements: regular attendance and a weekly journal. The honors section will be conducted by Professor Cocalis.

Course Courtesies:  In a large class like this, certain courtesies can make the learning experience more pleasant for all of us.  In the case of any behavior we find disruptive to the other students (complaints) or the instructor, we will ask you to stop the behavior the first time. If the disruptive behavior continues during class, you will be asked to leave the classroom. If there is a repeated problem over time, this will be reported to the Dean of Students Office and we will request that you be disenrolled from the class. (Guidelines of the Dean of Students and Ombuds Offices)

*Please be punctual. Class starts at 4.00 pm.

*Please remain in your seat and do not pack up until the completion of the class at 5.15.

*Please don’t talk with your friends during the lectures. This interferes with everyone’s concentration (including the instructor’s).

*Please turn off cell phones during class. This includes text-messaging during the lecture.

*Please do not use laptop computers for purposes other than taking notes, since this is distracting for the people around you.

*Please do not send the instructor or the TAs anonymous, rude, threatening, or harassing e-mails or other anonymous communications.

*Please do not call the professor or teaching assistants at home unless specifically arranged. You can leave messages for us at the GSS Office: 545 2350.

Course Requirements:

In-Class Writing Assignments: Short written assignments will be collected in most classes. After the first two class sessions, which will be on general topics, the in-class writing assignments will be related to the assigned reading for that class. I expect you to take the questions seriously and to try to answer them to the best of your ability.

*You will receive full credit (√) if I can see that you have done the reading assignment.

*You may obtain partial credit (√–) if the answer is too short or vague but I have a sense you have read the assignment.

*You will receive no credit (–) if the answer is too short, too vague, or not based on the assignment.

* If an answer is especially good, I assign extra credit (√+). 

*One-word answers or nothing at all are graded as insufficient (o) although you will receive partial credit (/) for attendance (/o).

We will read through all of these in-class assignments, grade them, and report back to the class on them if they contain an opinion question. I will only return them to you if you pick them up in my office. If I see that you are having trouble with a particular area, I will suggest that you contact me (or one of the TAs) for help. Attendance counts 1 point per class; writing assignment @ full credit = 1.5 points: total attendance/writing assignment points = 60.

Reading Assignment & Make-Ups:  You are responsible for reading the texts assigned for each class period. If you are absent or if you cannot read an assignment for the designated day but can make up the work before taking the exam on that section, you can submit a short written text showing me that you have read it and I will give you credit for the writing assignment. Work will not be accepted in bulk at the end of the semester.

Examinations:  There will be two in-class examinations. Review sheets & grading guidelines will be posted on the course website at least two weeks prior to each assignment. The tests will consist of both multiple choice and short essay questions. We will schedule an evening make-up exam for the in-class test.

InterviewProject: due February 23. You will be asked to conduct an interview with someone from a different cultural background, This must be someone who did not grow up with Disney fairy tales. Specific instructions will be posted on the website at least two weeks before the project is due. Arrangements will be made to turn inthese assignments through Turn–It-In (100 points)

In-Class Exam 1.  April 2. Make-up Exam: April 14. This test will be a cumulative test based on material covered since the beginning of the semester. Multiple choice and short essays. (100 points)

Final Exam. (as scheduled) (100 points)

There will be a conversion chart posted on the course website where you can determine the point value of each letter grade.

Lateness Policy: 

In-Class Exams: If you cannot take an exam on the scheduled date or if you have three projects due on the same day, you can arrange with the instructor to take the make-up exam in the evening (6-7:15 p.m.) of the specified date. This will be the only opportunity to make up this work. Make-up exams will have the same format but different questions.

Extra Credit Options:

Film Responses: Students can earn up to an extra 3 points per film toward their cumulative grade (see grading below) by writing a 2-page, double-spaced, typed response paper relating films to the readings or the lectures. These response papers should go beyond a simple plot summary (telling what happened in the film) to analyze and compare the presentation of witches in the film to what you have learned in class. What is the bias or viewpoint of the film?

Student-Initiated Reviews, Response Papers for Extra Credit: If there is a book, film, TV show, computer game, website, etc. that you would like to relate to the course material, discuss your idea with the instructor. The same guidelines apply here regarding plot summaries. These must be approved in advance by the instructor.

Creative Option for Extra Credit: If you attend class regularly and have been keeping up with the reading assignments, you have the option of submitting a creative project for extra credit. Such projects could include creating a website or computer game; writing a story; illustrations; a musical composition; an artwork; a performance; or a film/video-project. A collaborative project is also possible if all participants document their share of the collective work: e.g., one student writes a text to be illustrated by another, one composes music and another performs it, etc. (This option is only possible with prior permission of the instructor).

Grading:

Each student can accumulate a maximum of 360 points during this course.  The interview is worth 100 points, the test 100, and the final 100 points; in-class writing assignments/attendance are worth 60 points. Final grades can be computed using the following scale:

                        A   =    360 – 335 points                          C     =   276 – 263 points

                        A— =  336 – 324 points                           C — =  262 – 252 points

                        B+   =  323 – 313 points                          D +   =  251 – 241 points

                        B     =  312 – 299 points                          D      =  240 – 216 points

                        B— =  298 – 288 points                           F       = below 215 points

                        C +  =  287 – 277 points

There will be a conversion chart posted on the course website where you can determine the point value of each letter grade.

If you wish to dispute any grade, please contact the Teaching Assistant who graded your paper first. If you still have questions, please schedule a time to meet with the instructor. Any disputes concerning the final grades can be addressed to Professor Cocalis at the above address before September 15, 2009.  Incompletes must also be resolved by that date unless other arrangements have been made with the instructor.

Academic Honesty Policy:  Any form of cheating will result in a grade of zero on that written assignment and the request that the student withdraw from the course.  Cheating includes copying the work of another student on a test, unsanctioned use of reference notes during a test, plagiarizing a paper, buying a paper, or using an existing paper by modifying it slightly.  Students will be held to the standards of the University Writing Program. Cheating on papers includes using sentences directly or in a slightly modified form from books, websites, or other persons without naming the source or putting direct quotes in “quotation marks.” It also includes basing a paper on a friend’s computer file. More complete guidelines will follow. The instructor reserves the right to request an earlier draft or notes for a paper if circumstances warrant this course of action. If two papers appear suspiciously similar, both students will receive a grade of zero unless one of them agrees to accept responsibility.

Attendance Lists: If we send around a sign-in sheet for attendance, signing someone’s name other than your own is considered a form of cheating. If such incidents are reported or discovered both/all students will receive a “0” for that class. Repeated offenses will be reported to the Dean of Students Office.