1 Dr. Phoebe Godfrey’s Course Guidebook SPRING 2019 –Social Theory When the student is ready, the master appears. ~Buddhist Proverb You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him [her] to learn by creating curiosity, he [she] will continue the learning process as long as he[she] lives~ Clay P. Bedford Introduction Dear Student – Welcome to our class; one that could be a life changing experience if you are open and committed to your own learning. This is NOT a traditionally structured class based on lectures and exams. This is a highly engaging and intellectually demanding class, which requires you to practice critical thinking and to take responsibility for your own learning. We can only learn to think by actively and intentionally thinking / reflecting / analyzing/ questioning / struggling...etc. In short, thinking is not a spectator activity--no one can think or learn for you. This Mini Course Guidebook is written to help you get the most learning you can from our class by encouraging you to become a self-directed learner. In fact, this is the ultimate purpose of all my classes (regardless of specific topic) – to guide you to become an inspired, creative and independent critical thinker throughout your life. If you can ‘learn to learn’ then there is nothing you cannot learn, assuming you choose to do so. Furthermore, if can learn to think critically then you can pick and choose what it is you learn and how you use that learning to create a meaningful and fulfilling life for yourself. Given this ultimate purpose, the style of my classes is very different from most other college classes. However, all that we will do together is based on my years of experience teaching and on researching the best ways to help people learn to learn. Key to learning to learn is being self-motivated and key to being self-motivated is enabling people to be autonomous, to gain mastery over a given topic and to have that given topic link to some higher / personal / social / philosophical purpose that inspires us (taken from Daniel Pink- see below) and connects to our social identities (taken from Beverly Tatum-see below). Key to impeding self-motivation is using ‘carrots’ (rewards as in grades) and ‘sticks’ (punishment as in grades). In contrast, in my classes I try to avoid focusing on grades, deadlines, and specific assignments in order to give you more freedom of expression (taken from Alfie Kohn- see below). To this end, there are no tests, and you can choose your grade based on how much work you want to do (see signature sheet at the end of this guidebook) and then actually doing it so I can agree with you or not (the grade you choose is dependent on you doing the allotted work and is no guaranteed). 2 Another key to ‘learning to learn’ is being committed to and taking responsibility (taken from Osho- see below) for your own learning and reading and following u.

1. 1
Dr. Phoebe Godfrey’s Course Guidebook
SPRING 2019 –Social Theory
When the student is ready, the master appears. ~Buddhist
Proverb
You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach
him [her] to learn by creating
curiosity, he [she] will continue the learning process as long as
he[she] lives~ Clay P. Bedford
Introduction
Dear Student –
Welcome to our class; one that could be a life changing
experience if you are open
and committed to your own learning. This is NOT a
traditionally structured class based on
lectures and exams. This is a highly engaging and intellectually
demanding class, which
requires you to practice critical thinking and to take
responsibility for your own learning.
We can only learn to think by actively and intentionally

2. thinking / reflecting / analyzing/
questioning / struggling...etc. In short, thinking is not a
spectator activity--no one can think
or learn for you.
This Mini Course Guidebook is written to help you get the most
learning you can
from our class by encouraging you to become a self-directed
learner. In fact, this is the
ultimate purpose of all my classes (regardless of specific topic)
– to guide you to become an
inspired, creative and independent critical thinker throughout
your life. If you can ‘learn to
learn’ then there is nothing you cannot learn, assuming you
choose to do so. Furthermore,
if can learn to think critically then you can pick and choose
what it is you learn and how
you use that learning to create a meaningful and fulfilling life
for yourself.
Given this ultimate purpose, the style of my classes is very
different from most other
college classes. However, all that we will do together is based
on my years of experience
teaching and on researching the best ways to help people learn
to learn. Key to learning to
learn is being self-motivated and key to being self-motivated is
enabling people to be
autonomous, to gain mastery over a given topic and to have that
given topic link to some
higher / personal / social / philosophical purpose that inspires
us (taken from Daniel Pink-
see below) and connects to our social identities (taken from
Beverly Tatum-see below).
Key to impeding self-motivation is using ‘carrots’ (rewards as
in grades) and ‘sticks’

3. (punishment as in grades). In contrast, in my classes I try to
avoid focusing on grades,
deadlines, and specific assignments in order to give you more
freedom of expression (taken
from Alfie Kohn- see below). To this end, there are no tests,
and you can choose your grade
based on how much work you want to do (see signature sheet at
the end of this guidebook)
and then actually doing it so I can agree with you or not (the
grade you choose is dependent
on you doing the allotted work and is no guaranteed).
2
Another key to ‘learning to learn’ is being committed to and
taking responsibility
(taken from Osho- see below) for your own learning and reading
and following up on ideas
to satisfy your own curiosity, as opposed to doing so because
you will get ‘rewarded’ and /
or ‘punished’ if you do / or don’t. To this end, there are many
extra readings, films, articles,
links …etc on our class HCT page that are there for you to
explore but that are not
necessarily required. Please take time to explore extra
knowledge as your interests and
ideas about yourself and the world develop. I also invite you to
use this class as a practice
in being ‘present’ in the Now (see Eckart Tolle- see below) with
yourself / others which
means pay attention and not getting distracted by habits of mind
and body (like
texting…etc).

4. I cannot learn for you – learning is your activity that takes
place within you – I can
however share with you what I know, as well as help to inspire
and guide you along your
path. Thus, my role is in essence to mentor you- not judge and
coerce you using carrots
and sticks. You are welcome to seek my help / input / feedback
...etc as much as you like
but please do not hold me responsible for what is your task-
learning. The overall purpose
of the course structure is to create a democratic, engaged and
non-stressful learning
community, as opposed to the more typical hierarchical
classroom structure, which
essentially reinforces you to learn based on rewards and
punishment. In fact, stress
actually decreases your ability to learn by disrupting learning
and memory development as it
forces the brain to revert to more primitive survival needs.
Therefore, to foster creativity and
learning, together the aim is to minimize stressful situations,
except in relation to what you are
learning (as opposed to how). Our challenge is to reduce levels
of the stress hormone (cortisol)
and increase levels of the `happy' hormone (DHEA). -
Finally, this is a Guidebook not a Rulebook- so everything can
be negotiated if you
communicate with me ahead of time. If you do not then the
guidelines do become rules. If
you use it well it will be your best preparation for the
professional world where what matters
most are good communication, a high level of independent
(intrinsic) motivation and critical
thinking I look forward to working / learning with you! I look
forward to working /

5. learning with you!
Sincerely,
Phoebe Godfrey
*** Please read this Guidebook to use a resource throughout the
semester. If you have a
question about a requirement ...etc please try to answer it first
yourself by looking in here. If
you then still can’t find the answer then you are welcome to
email me. Pls. print out the
signature sheet at the end then sign it and bring it to me. This
is required by the second week
of class.
3
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
College in Perspective & Some Key
readings……………………………………………..…..….. p.4
Course Requirements & Grade
Percentages………………………………………….……...…….p.5
Course Requirements –

6. Details……………………………………………………………..….
...……….p.5
Classroom
Guidelines……………………………………………………………
………….……..p.6
Critical Reading
Posting………………………..………………………………..….…
…..….p.6 -7
.
Learning Journals-
Intro……………………………………………………………….…
…..……p.7
Journal
Details……………………………….………………………………
…………p.8 -9
Journal Beginning
Content……………………………………………………………p.9
First-Final Entry
……………………………………………………………...…….p.10
-12
FYI-Writer’s
Block…………………………………………..……….….………....
p.11-15

7. Journal
Assessment……………………………………………………….…..
.....p.15 -16
.
Group
Papers…………………………………………………………………
………….……..……….p. 17-20
Paper
Rubric…………………………………………………………….…
………..……..……p.21
Final Exam= Paper
Presentation……………………………………………..……………
.p.31
Final Self-
Evalaution…………………………..………………………………
…….………………..….….p.32
Quotes…………………………………………………………………
……………………………………….p.30-31
Signature
Sheet..….…………………………………………...…………………
….….p.32
Professionalizing Your
Learning……………………………………………………………….
...……p. 33

8. 4
Putting your College Education into National and Global
Perspective.
One of the first things you should feel about being in college is
gratitude and this
gratitude should inspire you to learn as much as you can so you
can be an effective member
of society. From a Global perspective based on a new 2010
study from Harvard and the
Asian Development Bank, only 6.7 percent of the world's
population are college degree-
holders and most of those will be elite males. From the
National perspective based on a
2009 study of Americans ages 25, 38.54% have an Associates
and/or Bachelor's degree,
7.62% a Master's degree, 2.94% a Doctorate or professional
degree. You are becoming part
of the educated elite and thus there are things you will learn in
my class that are not
common knowledge and which may in fact challenge many of
your beliefs. Therefore, be
open to this possibility and be grateful for this opportunity to

9. question and to think
critically. In addition, someone –you or your parents /
guardians are paying money for
you to learn so I invite you to be grateful and accountable to
this money (that most likely
represents someone’s – your / their- hard labor) by learning the
most you can while you
have the opportunity.
Some Key Readings
Since the emphasis of my class is very different than most, I
would like you to read a
few chapters from authors who research on learning / education
/ motivation / identity
that have shaped my teaching practices. The purpose of having
you read these is to help
you understand why I do what I do and to assure you that the
choices I make are not based
on my own random ideas but are based in empirical research.
The four readings come
from five different sources- Alfie Kohn’s What Does it Mean to
Be Educated, Daniel Pink’s
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us , Osho’s
Freedom, Beverly Tatum’s
The Complexity of Identity: Who Am I ? and Eckhart Tolle’s
The Power of Now. In addition,
please review The Miniature Critical Thinking Guide (pdf on
HCT) and refer to it
throughout the semester to access how your thinking is
developing / has developed (the
guide should be used as part of your self-evaluation both for
mid-term review and final-
review). These are all in PDF format and can be accessed in the

10. Course Readings Folder.
Please read them in the first week of class (see specific HCT
site for dates) as we will
discuss them, as well as the course format and requirements.
Take your Life into your own hands and what happens?
A terrible thing: no one to blame ~ Eric Jong
Course Requirements
Summary and Grade Percentage:
5
1.Class Participation – 20%
2.Learning Journals - 30%
3.Individual OR Group Paper– 35%
4. Final Presentation- 15% (mandatory attendance)
=Final On-Line Individual Portfolio (there is no actual portfolio
– I’m using the term
to refer to the totality of your work)
Course Requirements Details
1. Class Participation: Attendance, Etiquette and Guidelines

11. All that we are is the result of what we have thought.
The mind is everything. What we think, we become. ~ Buddha
As for attendance, you are strongly encouraged to attend all
classes as they are
where are can all be fully engaged and maximize our learning.
This is because the class is
based on the Socratic method, which means I ask you all
questions to help you / everyone
to examine your thoughts / beliefs and the validity of such
thoughts / beliefs in relation to
the class topic / readings ...etc. However, things happen / come
up, so you are responsible
for your own actions. More than Two unexcused classes will
count against your
participation grade. In addition, I ask that you do not see this
class as ‘just a class,’ but
rather a unique opportunity to understand our society, ourselves
and to decide what of
person do you want to be and what kind of a world do you want
to live in / create.
When in class I ask that you be there in mind as well as in body
(see Tolle’s reading
about being in the Now). This means that I ask that you refrain
from using your cell
phone except for educational purposes, as I find it highly
disrespectful of myself, your
classmates and even yourself in terms of your own learning. If
you do violate this rule you
will be given a warning but if you persist in using your phone
you will be asked to leave and

12. marked absent for that class. If you must text / take a call (due
to an emergency /
addiction) please feel free to leave the classroom and return
when you are done. In
addition, since this class is not based on exams, note taking is
optional and therefore you
are encouraged not to use your computer but you may if done so
properly (i.e for class
work)
The reason for these rules is that being in a class is like being in
a relationship and if
you do not show up (both in body and in mind) the relationship
suffers. We will discuss
these rules the first week of class.
If you need to miss a class you are invited to let me know
beforehand. If you do then
your absences will be excused and you are invited to make an
effort to make up for your
absence by doing an extra journal entry on the readings for the
class you missed (indicate
at top and put date of class missed).
F
inally
, if
Professional Email Politeness: Please note- when emailing me
to ask for something
/ to give me something or to tell me something I ask that you:
use my name and your
name-the class; that you use please and thank you. Then if I do
a task for you or
send you something or grant you permission for something…etc
I ask that you again

13. reply with appropriate appreciation, as in ‘thank you.’ I will
always do the same with
you. For more on this see: https://www.thebalance.com/email-
etiquette-525535
6
you have any special needs with any aspects of the course
please do not hesitate to let me
know, come see me or seek appropriate assistance. -
Classroom Guidelines
x Respect confidentiality (any personal stuff people share in
class, stays in class)
x Share air time and quite time (do not talk too much / not at
all)
x When you do speak use ‘I’ to acknowledge that you are only
speaking for you (“I
think / feel / believe” based on your experiences that may or
may not be true for
everyone.
x Listen respectfully to different perspectives (even if you don’t
agree)
x Do not blame or scapegoat (speak from your perspective only)
x Focus on your own leaning (learning is the activity of the
learner)
x Remember that we are all limited based on our perspective /
exposure / learning
(assume the best and be tolerant of other’s ignorance / you have

14. yours too)
x Everyone can learn / change / grow become more open /
tolerant / compassionate
(have faith in yourself and others to change/ grow)
x Try to reference where you have learned what you believe to
be true (what is your
truth based on / how do you know it is true? / if you don’t know
then why do you
believe / think it?)
x Listen respectfully when others are speaking / turn to face
them if possible –use
people’s names when responding to others and shared eye
contact is linked to
democratic practice (no side conversations / texting )
x Try not to take anything we discuss in class (that I say or that
others say)
PERSONALLY—our goal is to critically look at ideas / issues
so that we can all gain
truth and understanding. Additionally, no one knows your truth
but you so no one
can ever really be talking about / defining / labelling you
x Others?
In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary
act. ~George Orwell
3. Learning Journals

15. Do [think…] one thing every day that scares you. ~ Eleanor
Roosevelt
Introduction
The Learning Journal is the center piece of your learning in this
class. Throughout
the semester your journal should be a place where you go to
explore ideas, to ask yourself
7
questions, to engage in critical thinking, to express emotions
and personal truths, to make
new discoveries about yourself / the world, to make connections
/ see patterns and to play
/ be creative / have fun and to be ‘you,’ while learning. There is
no official ‘right’ and
‘wrong’ but you MUST engage / use quotes from the class
readings, as this is the point
of the journal. In addition, there is superficial writing versus
profound / insightful writing.
I am looking for that which is profound, meaningful and
thoughtful (to you and to others –
me...). Writing the journal is intended to enhance your own
perception of the subject matter
of the course; writing (not just pondering) enables deep
thoughts. You may not be used to
thinking / writing in this way but I am confident that if you take
the time and make the
effort you can learn and find it very enriching both
intellectually and personally.

16. All journals must be done on-line (HCT). However, if you want
to write them by
hand and or include drawings / images …etc you are free to
scan and upload. Also,
consider doing poems, songs you like / have written, photos you
take / like (again upload
them). Make this a place that is as unique and as interesting as
you are if you allow
yourself to be you...
You should do about 12-14 entries that equal about 20-25 pages.
I will read and
give you feedback TWICE during the semester (for dates see
syllabus) and then one last
time at the end of the semester so you should plan accordingly.
You WILL be given three
grades that will be a combination of quantity and quality.
Therefore, you should aim to do
Two sets of 4 entries and a final set of 5 entries if you seek an
A (see below for grading
rubric). If for example you only do two in a section you will
get a grade in the C range
depending on the quality. When I give you feedback you
should then apply that feedback
to your next 4 and so on. Once the journals have been reviewed
that section and grade is
closed to revision, unless you get in touch with me before the
next grading cycle. There are
however, NO EXTENSIONS ON THE FINAL JOURNAL SET
WITHOUT ADAQUATE
DOCUMENTATION OF A PERSONAL CRISIS. Additionally,
you may comment back to my
comments you will be given credit for doing so in your next
grade. If you write nothing for
a section then you will receive an F. Once you get a grade
again it can be changed- but only

17. if you communicate with me within the allotted time (except for
the last set). Your final
grade will be the total of your three grades (see rubric at end for
more details on
journal grading).
A helpful way to look at your journals is that they should be:
Continuous throughout the
semester, Connected to the readings/course content, Challenging
to your existing
thoughts / feelings and Contextual in that you link them to your
larger life / society.
Creative in that you explore your feelings / creativity / spirit
using poems / drawings /
photos / songs but that these are always analyzed and linked
back to the readings.
Every blade of grass has its Angel that bends over it and
whispers ‘Grow, grow…”.
~ The Talmud
Learning Journals Defined
8
I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking
at, what I see and what it
means. What I want and what I fear ~ Joan Didion

18. A learning journal is a sequence of free-form entries that tell
the ‘story’ of your
learning in the class. The length of each entry is up to you but
try to finish your thoughts
rather than just end at the end of the page. Also, as you go
along try to reference back to
early entries so that you are also reflection on your own
reflections. Topics of entries can
range from commenting on class lectures, discussions,
exercises, items on class web site,
films...etc., but you should always include a direct quote from
class readings and use it
to strengthen your thoughts / analysis / connections. Remember
the journals are
where you show me you have not only done the readings /
assignments but have more
importantly thought about their meanings and application to
your thinking / life…etc.
However, unlike the critical reading postings journals that seek
the main point, journal
entries are where you engage with readings and explore what it
means to you and what
you think about it and make connections between it and other
ideas you have and / or
experiences you have had…etc.
The point of your journals is to exercise your critical thinking
faculties (see The
Miniature Critical Thinking Guide) and to inspire yourself to
grow intellectually and
emotionally. Try to come up with what aspect of the source
(readings, class
discussion…etc) is meaningful to you and then develop a
particular point about the source.
You may for example criticize an assertion made in lectures or
in the readings, or agree and

19. expand upon it or take it in some other direction. Comments can
be emotional, intellectual,
creative, funny, playful (best entries will be all of these)...etc
but try to make them original
and thoughtful. To do these it may be helpful to reflect on the
some of the prompts I have
developed below and to follow their sequence throughout the
semester. These questions
are only to inspire you however try to keep to the theme that
your journal is a
chronological documentation of your own learning and growth
as a critical thinker. This is
why it is important that you begin it at the beginning of the
semester and write throughout
the semester so that by the end you have a written record that
you can reflect back upon as
a measure of your own progress in relation to the specific topic
of the course and in
relation to yourself as a critical thinker.
This course will be much more interactive than typical college
course. The purpose
of this is to get you to share / engage / learn from each other on
the topic of your class.
There will be many ways that you may feel ‘uncomfortable’ due
to the topics under
discussion. Please note any discomfort you feel and use your
journals to explore your
feelings in more depth. When you do feel uncomfortable you
can think of it as your
‘learning edge’ in that your level of discomfort actually
corresponds to the level of your
potential learning if you are open to your feelings and to what
they mean. In addition, be
aware of ‘triggers’ – topics, issues, words, phrases that
stimulate a strong emotional

20. response from you (pain, anger, shame…etc). Note your
feelings and be aware that on the
surface you may express one thing but underneath you may be
feeling something else. Try
to bring attention to your triggers and again explore them more
in your journals.
Beginning Content:
9
Signature Sheet
You will be given a signature sheet on the second day of class.
Please fill it out then / or at
home and bring to class in the first two weeks.
Dedication and Personal Contract
Before you do your first entry you are invited to write a
dedication – dedicate your
journal to someone who / something that has / does / will
inspire you to seek your
authentic self and to put your best effort into your own learning.
In addition, it is
recommended that you write yourself a personal contract that
you sign agreeing to write in
your journal at least once a week over the semester and to
always seek truth, as you see it
and as it develops and changes for you. This journal is yours /
about you / your journey –
my role is to mentor you along the way…
Learning Goals

21. In order for you to assess your own learning it is important that
you identify and list
your top learning goals in relation to the topic of the class.
These goals may be specific to
the course content (“I want to know more about sociology so I
can…etc” ) or they may be
more general in relation to liberal arts education (“I want to
improve my critical thinking”).
The more specific you make them the easier it will be for you to
decide at the end of the
semester that you have or haven’t reached your goals. These
goals are yours and are for
you to attain with my help. You will need to refer back to them
at the end of the course
when you do your final self-evaluation so keep them in mind
throughout the
semester. If you don’t have any learning then maybe make one
of your goals to
identify a learning goal!
First Entry
In your first journal entry that you should do after the first day
of class write about
what you think you know about the topic of the class and who
you are in relation to the
topic. You may also be advised to a specific topic in your first
day of class so be aware of
this prompt. For example, if your class is focused on inequality
or globalization or religion
or social problems or climate change or education or race or
gender ...etc, write about what
you think you know about the issue and also ask how do you
know what you think you
know? Where did you learn it and from whom? Why do you

22. think you were taught to think
the way you do? Or if you weren’t why weren’t you? What is
the relationship between
what you know based on what have personally experiences
versus what you have been
taught? Do you know if what you think is true or is it just a
belief? How can you tell the
difference? Who decides? Then make connections to how these
issues / thoughts / beliefs
/ experiences have shaped you / your life / identity /
feelings...etc. Try to find connections
between what you think you know and who you think you are
…etc.
Second – Fourth Entry
10
In these early entries, still build upon what you knew about the
class topic before
the class began and what you now find you are learning about it
and any differences you
notice. You may want to refer to specific readings that have
affected you or challenged
your thinking. You may also want to look for places where you
have experienced your
‘learning edge’ and / or any ‘triggers’ – topics, issues, words,
phrases that stimulate a strong
emotional response from you (pain, anger, shame..etc) and
explore why you have reacted /
felt as you have and what these feelings mean in relation to you
/ the class topic. If you feel
you are not learning then explore why not and what it means to
you. You may also want to

23. spend some time writing about the structure / pedagogy of the
class and what affect it may
be having on your learning. Is there anything you notice in
comparison to your more
typical college classes that merits analysis / discussion ...etc?
You will be given feedback at this point based on the quantity
and quality of
your work (see rubric below for more details)
Fifth-Eighth Entry
By now you should have had feedback from me on your first 4-
5 entries (if you
haven’t check in with me). Your task now includes applying my
feedback to you new
entries. If for example I have written “Need to use quotes” why
not consider going back
and adding? If you don’t want to make this level of effort at
least begin to incorporate
quotes or make other recommended changes to show that you
have read / understood my
comments and are working towards making a better journal
entry according to the journal
rubric / Miniature Critical Thinking Guide. You may also
comment to my comments if you
don’t agree / think of something new or if I have asked you a
question. You should
continue developing your voice and making more extensive.
**************************Mid Term
Review***********************************
Please do a mid-term self-review by your Seventh-Eight entry
(it counts as an

24. entry) were you look back at your entries so far (you should
have about seven of them) and
decide where you are at / how much you have learned / changes
/ grown. Also, if you have
had your journal reviewed ask if you have applied the comments
to your proceeding
entries? If so what has changed? If not reflect on why not?
Again, you should use the
journal rubric and the Miniature Critical Thinking Guide and
see where you are in terms of
your ‘level’ of thinking. You may also want to look back and
see if you are meeting your
learning goals. If so you may want to set some new learning
goals. If not you may want to
reaffirm them or figure out why you are not meeting them and
how to do so before the end.
You will be given feedback at this point based on the quantity
and quality of
your work (see rubric below for more details)
Ninth -Eleventh Entries

25. 11
You should have gotten feedback again (2nd time) on your first
7-8 entries and if you
have applied what you were told in the first round your journal
should be on track to being
a ‘good / best’ journal. If you haven’t applied your original
feedback I will repeat it here,
again urging that you follow the guidelines and / or inviting you
to reflect on why you are
choosing to ignore my feedback. These entries constitute the
second half of your journal /
the class so you should be getting the hang of them and
reflecting both on your earlier
entries and on my comments. You may also want to push your
learning edge more and try
something different or be more creative or do more in depth into
one of two ideas that
interest you. This is your chance to really explore your own
thinking / self and to do so in a
way that inspires you. Just remember that you still need to
reflect on the readings but you
can do so in ways that are creative and thoughtful.
Twelfth - Thirteen Entries
In these last entries, you are encouraged to see what other
issues / questions you still have

26. about the topic and use readings to help you explore them. You
may also want look at
some of the topics listed under ‘Writer’s Bock’ and see if there
are any that you would like
to explore in relation to the specific class topic / readings. You
should be able to
demonstrate a level of expertise in relation to the class topic
and so this is your chance to
apply this expertise to other topics to show mastery and a high
level of critical thinking.
********Final / Thirteenth Fourteenth Entry*******
When you get to the end of your journal the point is to look
back- and re-read your
journal and do a final entry on where you started (see your first
entry), where you traveled
to and here you are finishing and what has changed in you / for
you and why. It may also
be helpful to ask if your journal is the only thing you ever write
what would / do you want
people to say / think about you if they were to read it? What is
significant about your
journal / you that you did not know about before?
This final entry also acts as a self-evaluation for your level of
learning / growth in
the course using your own original learning goals and the
Miniature Critical Thinking Guide.
If you didn’t reach your goals analyze why not and if you met
other goals that you did not
expect explore them here.
You should also use the rubric (see below) as a way to give
yourself a Final

27. Learning Journal Grade.
Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves
can free our minds.
~ Bob Marley
FYI- Writers Block???
It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is
because we do not dare that
things are difficult ~ Seneca
12
If you reach a point where you do not know what to write, look
at the questions below

28. and see if you can address any of them in your entry while
linking them to the readings of
your class. These questions are not to be answered in any direct
way but are there to try to
get you thinking in a way that is critical and reflective. You
may uses them as tools to get
you going, you may bounce an idea off them you or may find
you do not use them at all but
at least you cannot say you didn’t know what to write about!
Finally, if you do use any of
these prompts remember to make connections to the readings /
class assignments.
x What am I learning / have I learned and how do I know?
(Don't summarize lectures
and other source material; instead, refer to them / analyze them
/ engage with them
and see what affect they are having on you and how / why).
x Who is responsible for my learning? What / who enables me
to learn? Why? How?
Can I be ‘forced’ to learn or not? What does this learning look
like / feel like?
x What have I not understood? Why not? What is stopping me?
What beliefs / ideas /
concepts am I attached to that may be preventing me form
learning? Why am I
attached to them? What would it mean to me / my self-concept
others if I changed my
mind / my beliefs / my thinking / if I grew? How? Why?
Explore.
x How does this new information affect my thinking? / What
else does it make me think
of and why? How is this new information relevant to me? OR

29. not? If not why not? Is
there a connection I am not seeing / making and if so why not?
x Have I had any dreams related to class materials if so what
were they / what can I
learn from them?
x Why do I think / believe / act the way I do? What has shaped
my thinking / my beliefs
/ my identity? Can they be changed? Have they changed?
How? Why?
x What beliefs/ thoughts / ideologies am I attached to and why?
What would change if I
changed these beliefs / thoughts / ideologies and why?
x What ideologies / beliefs about race / sex / gender / social
class / sexuality / age /
bodies / nations / ethnicities / religions ...etc have shaped my
beliefs / thinking / ideas
/ identity...etc? What would happen if I changed these beliefs /
ideas / thinking /
identity? Who would ‘mind’? Why? How?
x What am I afraid of in terms of my own learning / thinking /
society? What does this
fear prevent me from looking at / thinking about / recognizing /
being? Why and
how?
x How do my thoughts / beliefs shape my behavior / attitudes?
Can these be changed?
Do I want to change them / myself? Yes / no, why / why not?
x What makes me angry about this class / this material / what I
am learning? What

30. makes me frustrated / unhappy / sad / disgusted? Why?
x What would I like to change about society / self? Why? How?
How do societies /
individuals change? Is all change good / bad? How? Based on
what? Who decides?
x How do I feel about injustices / inequalities / oppression /
privilege / poverty / war /
racism / sexism / homophobia / violence / greed / deception
versus justice / equality /
freedom / egalitarianism / democracy / peace / respect / dignity
/ passivism /
generosity / honesty? How do I practice these qualities /
values?
x How do my family / community / nation practice these
qualities or not? Do these
qualities / values / practices matter? Why? To whom?
13
x What are my values? What do I care about? What are my
morals? Do I practice them
or just talk about them? Do those I know care / practice or not?
Do I consider myself
open/ kind / compassionate or not and do I care?
x Using the Critical Thinking Guide how would I analyze my
level of thinking? What do I
spend most of my time thinking about? Why? What can I
change about my thinking
and how?

31. x Do I judge others based on what they do / wear / say / buy /
eat / like/ how they look
/ where they live / the school they go to / who they love ..Etc?
Why? What is this
about for me? How does this connect to larger social issues that
we are addressing in
class?
x Do I believe humans are naturally evil / sinful / greedy /
selfish / destructive and will
always be or do I believe humans are naturally good / innocent /
kind or neither? Why
do I believe what I believe? How do my beliefs about human
nature shape other
thoughts / feelings I have about myself / others?
x What do I think is the point of life? The point of my life? Do
I live according to this
point or some other? Is this point of my own making or is it
just taken from my parents
/ society / religion? What do my society / parents / elders say?
Do I agree? If not how
not / why not?
x Am I free (define what you mean)? Am I courageous to
question myself / identity /
society / elders...etc? Am I creative, imaginative, a critical
thinker? If yes, how? If not
why not?
x Do I realize how lucky I am to be at a university with the
opportunity to learn? Do I
take full advantage of this opportunity or not and if not why
not? How does this
advantage relate to what I am learning in this class? How does
my attitude to learning

32. reflect or not my society and issues I am learning in this class?
x Have I accepted my own mortality? Do I realize one day I
will be dead and that my
time on this planet is limited? How does this fact change things
for me? Why? If not
why not?
x Have I asked myself what I want to accomplish / do / be in
this short time that I am
alive? Have I considered the possibility that learning / growing
may be the only thing
worth doing during my life time? If so how do I feel about this
and how does this
relate to this class / what I am learning? If I don’t agree then
what do I think is worth
doing? What does society say? Why? How?
x ....????????? Keep going….
As you progress through your journal referring to these
questions may not be as needed
but always try to keep a deep level of reflection and analysis.
Try to be as philosophical,
thoughtful, and profound as possible while also linking your
thoughts to the class materials.
There are other issues that do not relate directly to the course
content but that do
relate to who you are an how you feel about you / life / learning
that maybe worth
considering and writing about indirectly (or by connecting them
to the class topics). These
are such issues as what you eat / what do you buy and consume /
who produces these
products / where and how / who are these people and animals /

33. how do they live / feel /
eat / what affect is my consumption having on the earth / on
animals / other humans?
How do I feel about this? Also, it might be interesting to ask
yourself about your overall
health –how you feel physically / mentally and why you feel
that way. Do a personal check
14
in and see if you get any exercise or not / if you spend time
alone / outside in nature / if
you are creative in other areas of your life / if you get enough
sleep / if you do things that
make you feel grounded / happy that are healthy and life
affirming...
You should also look into your relationships- friends, partners,
family, work / class
/ roommates and analyze how they are shaped / controlled /
organized by issues we are
addressing in class. Think about how you as an individual
relate to issues of freedom,
courage, creativity in opposition to those you are connected to,
as well as society at large.
Finally, think about your relationships to technology – how
dependent are you on
connecting to others via technology? How does technology also
shape your identity and
other issues we address in class? What about trying a
technology free day to see how you
feel and who you are without it...
The point of all this is to get you to see your mental, physical,

34. emotional, spiritual
self as all connected. If you are interested in equality and
justice (the theme of most
sociology classes) then it is important to look at your personal
values / lifestyle / feelings /
practices …etc. Nothing is separate – we are society as much as
we are ourselves so if you
want to understand society the best place to start is with
yourself and those around you!
“When we tug at a single thing in nature, we find it attached to
the rest of the world.” ~ John
Muir
Journal Assessment:
It’s a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything
but the best, you very often get it
~ Somerset Maugham
The best journals are completed throughout the course and show
a development of a ‘voice’ that
is engaging in critical thinking / deep understanding. As stated
before they are: Continuous,
Connected, Challenging and Contextual
You will receive three grades on your journals. The first two
can be changed if you
make adjustment to past entries based on feedback before the
next due date and if you let
me know. These first two grades will be based on this rubric.
Your first grade will be
based on your first 4 entries, your second grade on your next 4
entries and your third grade

35. on your last 4-5 entries. Your final grade will be the total of all
three. Another way to help
you evaluate your journals / thinking is to use the Miniature
Critical Thinking Guidebook to
help you.
1. The best learning journals demonstrate deep understanding:
You have clearly been
able to integrate the readings, including quotes, from the class
to a larger context
and to the knowledge you already possess. You demonstrate the
capability of
applying new information from the readings in new situations
and contexts as well
as evaluating your own thinking. You have developed your own
view on the
readings and you are capable of coming up with new
approaches. In addition, you
have explored the ‘whys’ of your thinking, your identity, your
values, your beliefs in
15
a way that is courageous, analytical and authentic. You have
used your journal
creatively and imaginatively and find you have changed in
complex and profound
ways. You have done 4-5 entries for each section and ended
with a total of 12-14
entries (20-25 pages) that develop an idea / ideas and end when
you have reached
some conclusion. You have followed the guide lines; you have a
mid-term review
and a final review. Finally, you have responded to / applied all

36. my comments. (A/
A-)
2. If not the best, then certainly at least excellent are those
journals that demonstrate
understanding of concepts and their relations: You have clearly
obtained a unified
picture of the subject, have used the readings in most entries
and have
demonstrated the capability to apply the things you learned.
You have engaged with
the readings and yourself but not to the level where you have
put everything on the
line and questioned what it is, why it is as it is why you are as
you are...etc. You have
not made as many connections as you could have with the
readings and have not
been as courageous as you could have been. You have done
about 3-4 each section
and have ended with about 10-12 entries (15-20 pages) that
develop some ideas but
some are just written to write. You have followed most of the
guide lines, you have a
mid-term review and a final review but they could be stronger.
Finally, your journal
was reviewed twice before the end of the semester and you have
responded to /
applied some of my comments.(B+ / B)
3. Good journals demonstrate understanding: You are clearly
capable of understanding
concepts and ideas in isolation and you demonstrate ability to
think about them.
However, you have not yet formed a unified picture of the
subject, have not used
many readings and cannot apply what you have learned to new

37. issues or to yourself
/ your own life. You have not analyzed any of the readings very
deeply and you
have not come up with your own unique analysis / insights. You
have done about 2-
4 in a section for a total of 8-10 entries (10-15 pages) of which
some are fully
developed but most are written just to write. You have followed
some of the guide
lines, you have a mid-term review and / or a final review but
they could be stronger.
Finally, your journal was reviewed once (meaning when I did
the second review you
had no new entries) before the end of the semester and you have
responded to /
applied some of my comments.(B- / C+)
4. Passing journals demonstrate limited understanding: You
have learned some
concepts and you have written about them in a summarizing,
superficial way. You
have not used nor quoted from any readings. You have not
related the readings to
yourself or you have focused exclusively on yourself and have
not engaged with the
course material. You have only followed a few of the guide
lines and either don’t
have or have a very minor mid-term review and / or final
review. You have only
done about 2-3 in a section with a total of 8 or fewer entries
(less than 10 pages)
and most do not fully develop and are just written to write.
Finally, your journal
was reviewed once (meaning when I did the second review you
had no new entries)
before the end of the semester and you did not responded to /

38. apply any of my
comments.( C/D-)
5. Unacceptable journals do not meet any of the above
criteria….. You have fewer 1-2
in a section with a total of less than 5 entries (less than 5
pages). Also, if you did get
feedback from me you did not apply any of my comments. (F)
16
It always comes back to the same necessity: go deep enough and
there is a bedrock of truth,
however hard ~ May Sarton
4. Group Projects and Papers:
Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to
change the world. Indeed,
it is the only thing that ever has ~ Margaret Mead
As well as your personal journal you will also do a group
project and paper. I know group
projects and papers are hard but learning to work well with
others, to compromise, to deal
with conflict and to accomplish a collective goal are vital life
skills (all graduate schools and
employers ask about group skills when I do recommendations).

39. All human relationships
are ‘group projects’ – from family, to work, to community
…etc. so see this as an
opportunity to grow and learn new interpersonal skills. In terms
of the focus of the group
project, your group has the opportunity to choose a topic related
to the class and to the
readings that interest all of you most and to engage in some
experiential learning. The key
part of your project is put forth a question or a thesis (as with
the papers) and to
seek / explore / find evidence for your answer or your data by
doing experiential
research. To do this you MUST ‘experience’ some aspect of
your project. For example,
if you want to look at inequality in the public school system you
need to actually go to a
number of schools, talk to students, teachers, etc. and critically
analyze about your
observations. Or if you want to look at the inequality in the
legal system you need to go
visit courts or prisons or talk to public defendants …etc.
We will take a class day (TBA) and work on getting everyone
into a group based on the
topics people propose. The groups should be no more than 5
people. There should be an
umbrella topic and then each group member should find a
specific interest under that
umbrella for them to work on. For example, if you were
looking at school inequality and
asking ‘who benefits?’ as the umbrella topic, then some group
members could do site visits,
some could do interviews; some could do library research...etc.
On the day we create groups your group should begin to fill in
the group details sheet

40. below (you will get one handed to you in class) and finish it
over the following week. You
will be asked to hand it in for feedback a week after the groups
are created and will be
given feedback to help you.
Group Details Sheet
Failing to plan is planning to fail.~ Alan Lakein
1. Group Name:
2. Group Members:
3. Group Philosophy / Goals (how do you want to conduct
yourselves / what do you want to
achieve…):
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/alanlakein154654.
html
17
4. What umbrella problem/ issue will you address? What
umbrella question will you answer?
What is your umbrella thesis? :
5. What are the smaller components/contributing issues that will
be focused on?
6. How you will you address it/them? Why this manner? :
7. Who will address which aspects and why / how? :
8. How will you measure your success in addressing issue /
answering question? :
9. What will be your experiential part/s? Why / How?:

41. 10. What will be creative and original about your project?:
11. What class resources –books / articles ...etc. - will you use /
what other resources? :
12. What viable solutions can be proposed based on what has
been identified as creating the
problem?
The first thing to do once you have your overall topic is to
identify a problem / issue and
look at what is creating it – what are all the social, economic
and political forces that are
contributing and use this information to define your argument /
thesis (see Paper Rubric)
and to identity what theory from the course books you will use.
Group Contract
This contract is very important as you are responsible for each
other’s grades. Thus,
the group may decide to ‘punish’ a member who has not
fulfilled their part of the contract.
So please write up your group rules, goals and expectations as a
group are in terms of
meetings / answering emails / doing work on time /
communication …etc. This is your
chance to all agree to a certain level of commitment to the
group and the consequences
when the agreements are broken. For example, one rule I have
to help you reach your
goals is that you must meet at least four times and you must
keep a written record of each
meeting and every one must sign in and evaluate the meeting
(see Meeting Vibes below)
You as a group may decide that if a member misses a meeting

42. without letting others know
and without a good reason then that person should get a lower
grade than the rest. Or you
may come up with something else if you choose. Please, list
your rules, goals and
expectations and then all sign it, thereby agreeing to abide by
your own rules. If you have
issues with a group member/s then pls. refer to your group
contract as a guide lines for
how to deal with your / their issues. Please do not involve me
unless you have an
extenuating circumstance that requires my intervention.
Learning to work as a group, to
address and solve conflicts is part of your learning. Feel free to
write about your group
experiences in your journals and link them to the topic of your
class.
The contract should be scanned and included when you upload
your final group
paper at the end of the semester.
Group Meetings
When you meet you should have an agenda that you create at
the meeting or that you
create on-line before the meeting; you should designate a
moderator who keeps everyone
to the agenda; you should have a time keeper who keeps the
group on-task, and you should
have a vibes watcher who keeps everyone pleasant and then who
accesses your meeting at
the end (if you meet five times and there are five of you each
member should take a turn
doing each task).

43. 18
Please use the following questions which you pose to the whole
group and then decide
‘yes’ or ‘no’ and when needed write comments. You may add
others if you like but please
answer the following questions at the end of each meeting.
Vibes should be scanned and included with your final group
paper at the end of the
semester.
Meeting Vibes Form – Pls. print out one for each meeting and
scan at end.
Meeting Date:
1. Did each member attend? If not who is missing and why / did
they let others know they couldn’t make it?
2. Did each member bring to the meeting that which was agreed
upon? For example, you might want to set an
agenda for each meeting so that you know what you are doing /
need to do.
3. Did each member contribute to the meeting? If not, why not?
4. Did each member stay on task and avoid time wasting and
other needless frustrations? If not, why not?
5. Did each member maintain a pleasant disposition (good
vibes)? If not, why not?
6. Did each member feel respected / heard / valued? If not why

44. not and what needs to be done about it?
7. Does each member know what they need to do for the next
meeting? If not, why not?
Next meeting time and place:
All sign/date and keep in order to up-load with paper.
1._______________________________________________
2._______________________________________________
3._______________________________________________
4.________________________________________________
5._________________________________________________
Group Papers:
The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people
can think.
~ Edwin Schlossberg
Your paper should be structure like an edited volume, meaning
that you all write the
Introduction and Conclusion (about 2 pages each) and then each
member writes an
individual ‘chapter’ based on the research they did. In the
Introduction you review the

45. 19
overall umbrella issue / problem question and talk about how
the group chose to address it
and why the group chose to address it the way you did. You can
also review the chapters
and their contents. Your Conclusion must propose creative
solutions for addressing the
problem / issue and look at ways you / society can implement
these solutions.
Each person’s chapter will focus on a specific aspect of the
issue / problem /
question. All papers / chapters should still follow the Paper
Rubric, by having a point / a
sub-question or thesis and should have quotes / citations. The
whole paper should use
at least FIVE required class readings, as well as FIVE other
sources (book chapters,
articles that you find or that are on HCT and which weren’t
required reading-- films
can be used but don’t count as part of the five) that you feel
best represents your
specific issue and the perspective of the issue that you are
taking. These references
should be scattered throughout the papers and can involve
multiple citations from
one reading (that still counts as one).
Everyone should write about 3 pages, and the Introduction and
Conclusion should
be about 2 pages each. So if you have 4 people in your group

46. then it should be a 16 page
paper. It should also have a Bibliography and any supporting
data (interviews, surveys,
photos…etc) that you use should be attached at the end (the data
sheets do not count as
pages). You will have a Draft date (TBA) to have your paper
reviewed so you can make
changed before it is finally reviewed for a grade.
Each group member should upload Group Paper by due date (see
syllabus) so that
you can all see your grade / feedback.
If you need more intensive writing help: See
http://www.writingcenter.uconn.edu/
Tell me and I'll forget. Show me and I may not remember.
Involve me and I'll understand. ~
Native American Proverb
Paper Rubric
Writing is a lot easier if you have something to say ~ Sholem
Asch
Argument:
Regardless of your specific paper topic you must either answer
a question or put forth a

47. thesis that is stated in the beginning of your paper. This
question or thesis can be directly
related to the topics assigned or may be your own but obviously
it must relate to the topic
of the course and use the prescribed class readings, i.e at least 5
readings from class and
at least 5 from other sources (films don’t count as sources).
You must state your
purpose in the beginning and how you are going to go about
answering your question /
making your argument using critical thinking / analysis. This is
the central goal of your
paper to which every paragraph should contribute. Your
argument must be presented
logically (create sections – see below) in an order that makes
internal sense; you must
examine your underlying assumptions; you must define your
terms; you must reach your
goal coherently and state that you have done so. Make sure you
use transitional sentences
http://www.writingcenter.uconn.edu/
20
to move your argument along. You may also say why you have
chosen this topic- what it
means to you and anything else personal that will make your
paper more interesting and
give the reader a reason to also be interested in it.
Above
Expectation 5
/ A

48. 4 / B Meets
Expectation 3
/ C
2 / D Below
Expectation 1
/ F
Paper has a
clearly sated
question /
thesis around
which the rest
of the paper is
structured.
Paper
answers
question /
argues
position to the
end and
involves
critical
thinking /
analysis.
Paper has a
weak question
/ thesis that
gets lost and is
not answered
/ argued
throughout.
Paper has no

49. question /
thesis and is
merely a
collection of
‘fact’ /
descriptions
about a certain
issue.
Theory:
All papers / creative projects must use / address / explore some
theory based on a
class reading that is clearly stated (including quotes from the
source) and that you
will use / apply to your specific issue. Your theory (or
theories) must be identified in the
beginning (including the name /s of the author /s whose theory
it is) and must be
explained as to why you have chosen this theory and what this
theory means …etc. Also,
you must apply the theory throughout your paper using quotes
as opposed to just
introducing it and then NOT using / applying it. Also, in your
conclusion you must return
to it again and say how it has helped explain the issue and what
difference using the theory
has made to your / the reader’s overall understanding.
Above
Expectation 5

50. / A
4 / B Meets
Expectation 3
/ C
2 / D Below
Expectation 1
/ F
Paper clearly Paper Paper has no
21
introduces /
explains some
theory
(including the
name/s of the
major
theorists) and
states why this
particular
theory is being
used; how this
theory helps
illuminate the
issue. In
addition, the
theory must be
referred to
throughout the
paper and
applied to the

51. paper topic
and used in
analyzing what
the topic
means.
introduces
some theory
(including the
name of major
theorists) but
does not
clearly explain
it or say why it
is being used /
how it helps.
In addition,
paper does not
apply theory
to issue
throughout,
nor is the
theory used to
analyze topic.
theory.
Quotes / References / Sources:
You must use quotes from books, journal articles and other
sources (at least 5 from class
readings and 5 from outside sources). These quotes must
further your argument and you

52. must make it clear to the reader why you have chosen a
particular quote and what it tells
us / how it helps your argument. In other words, you must
analyze each quote and say
what it means. Avoid excessive quoting and very long quotes
that just seem to fill up the
page. Only use what you need. Often it is good to introduce
the author of the quote with
phrases like, for example, ---According to Karl Marx (1878),
“The owner of the means of
production also own the production of knowledge” (ASA style-
see link on HCT). You can
also make reference to works / ideas / arguments / authors /
books / articles without
specifically quoting from them, but by summarizing /
paraphrasing their ideas. All quotes /
references must be properly cited using the ASA citation system
(see appendix). If you use
quotes from interviews cite them using their first name only and
the date of the interview.
If you make reference to media sources like films…etc. again
make sure you use titles,
dates, directors or if you use internet sources use URL’s …etc
and the date they were
retrieved.
22
Above
Expectation 5
/ A

53. 4 / B Meets
Expectation 3
/ C
2 / D Below
Expectation 1
/ F
Paper has the
required
number of
sources and
has quotes /
references
throughout.
The quotes
further the
paper’s
argument, are
introduced
and analyzed
to explain why
they are being
used, how they
help explain an
issue …etc.
Paper does not
over quote or
use
excessively
long quotes.
All quotes or
references are
cited.

54. Paper has
number of
quotes /
references but
does not meet
the requited
amount.
Quotes and
references are
not used
throughout.
Quotes /
references are
not properly
cited. Quotes
are not
introduced or
analyzed so
that the reader
knows why
they are being
used and how
they help
explain the
issue. Quotes
are excessively
long and
unnecessary.
Paper has no
quotes or
references or
Paper has a
few quotes but
no citations.

55. Interviews / Ethnographic Research
Regardless of on your research focus you must do some form of
primary / experiential
research. The point of this is to enable you to take what you are
learning in class and apply
to a ‘real world’ situation. You must make this research a
central part of your paper and
then apply your theory and readings to it in order to analyze it
in an attempt to say what it
means. Whatever primary research you do you must give
evidence at the end of your
paper –either a transcript of interview or observation
notes…etc.
Paper has
addressed
assignment by
Paper has
addressed
assignment by
Paper has
somewhat
addressed
Paper has
somewhat
addressed
Paper has not
addressed
assignment by

56. 23
using primary
research. This
research is
analyzed using
theory and
readings.
Evidence of
research is
included in an
Appendix= A
using primary
research. This
research is
somewhat
analyzed using
theory and
readings.
Evidence of
research is
included in an
Appendix=B
assignment by
using primary
research.
However, this
research is
only
somewhat
analyzed using
theory and

57. readings.
Inadequate
evidence of
research is
included =C
assignment by
using primary
research.
However, this
research is not
analyzed using
theory and
readings. No
evidence of
research is
included = D
using primary
research. =F
Analysis / Synthesis:
When you introduce an issue / situation /event you may have to
describe it a little but do
not just end there –next say what it all means. Make sure that
throughout your paper /
creative project you build your argument using critical thinking
/ analysis (see your Critical
Thinking Guide!). This means that you are constantly telling
the reader what the material
(quotes, examples, data, your own creative project…etc) means
and why it is important and
how it helps the reader understand your argument / question /

58. thesis better. Use
transitional sentences that begin with words like, “Thus,
however, therefore, although…etc”
to drive your argument and to keep the reader focused on what
you are doing. You are
making a case / argument and every sentence counts. Do not
just DESCRIBE – always
ANALYZE. Also, you should synthesize all the materials
(readings, data, opinion,…etc) into
a coherent paper. If you use quotes from interviews or data
from surveys or charts or
statistics again say what the quotes, data…etc mean and how
they relate to your larger
argument / question.
Above
Expectation 5
/ A
4 / B Meets
Expectation 3
/ C
2 / D Below
Expectation 1
/ F
Paper uses
critical
thinking /
analysis
throughout to
constantly tell
the reader
what the

59. material
means.
Paper has a
little critical
thinking /
analysis but is
mostly
description
about a topic
Not analysis of
what the topic
means. Quotes
Paper is more
of a report or a
description of
an issue.
There is no
critical
thinking /
analysis saying
what the issue
means and
24
Quotes, data,
examples are
analyzed and
synthesized
and flow
towards the
conclusion.

60. are left to
speak for
themselves
and are not
analyzed.
Analysis does
not move the
argument
towards the
conclusion.
how it relates
to the overall
argument (if
there even is
one). Quotes if
there are any
are not
analyzed.
Information is
left to speak
for itself.
Conclusion:
All papers must have a conclusion in which you tie the whole
thing together and make
some overall point / assertion / conclusion. In your conclusion,
make sure you affirm what
you have argued and / or answer the question you have
addressed, the theory you have
used, and be clear as to why what you have argued is important
and how it changes

61. (hopefully it does) the way the reader would see the particular
issue/s. You may end with
a specific quote or a creative / original proposal for the future
as in what society / we/ you
should do to address the issue or you may end by raising more
questions / issues that still
need to be asked / addressed. Try to look for ‘solutions’ and
areas that need further
research or areas in which you want to know more and lead the
reader in that direction.
Above
Expectation 5
/ A
4 / B Meets
Expectation 3
/ C
2 / D Below
Expectation 1
/ F
Paper has a
clearly stated
conclusion in
which the
argument is
concluded /
the question is
answered, the
theory used is
re-stated, the
importance of
the issue

62. affirmed and
how the issue
can now be
seen from a
different light.
Paper has a
conclusion but
it does not pull
the paper
together-it
does not refer
back to the
theory, it does
not conclude
the argument
or answer the
question or
affirm the
importance of
the paper /
issue. No new
questions are
Paper has no
conclusion and
rather just
stops. The
reader is left
wondering
what the point
of the paper
was and
feeling that
something is
missing (it is ).

63. 25
New questions
can be raised
here or a call
for action or
change.
raised and no
changes or
actions are
called for.
Organization: Sub-headings:
Create sections with sub-headings as a way of organizing your
topics. Consider such
headings as Introduction, Methodology, Background,
Interviews, Case Study, Analysis,
Conclusion…etc.
Above
Expectation 5
/ A
4 / B Meets
Expectation 3
/ C
2 / D Below
Expectation 1

64. / F
Paper has
Logical
Sections that
help the
reader
understand
what you are
presenting
Paper has a
few Sections
but they are
not as logically
organized as
they could be
Paper has no
Sections and is
not well
organized and
is confusing to
the reader.
Grammar / Spelling:
Paper should be grammatically correct and with correct
spelling. Citations should be
correct and consistent. Use grammar / spell check or get help at
the campus writing center.
See http://www.writingcenter.uconn.edu/

65. Above
Expectation 5
/ A
4 / B Meets
Expectation 3
/ C
2 / D Below
Expectation 1
/ F
Paper has no
grammatical
or spelling
errors. All
citations are
correct.
Paper has
some
grammatical
and spelling
errors.
Citations have
some errors.
Paper is full of
grammatical
and spelling
errors.
Citation (if
there are
any)are
incorrect.

66. Meaningfulness:
http://www.writingcenter.uconn.edu/
26
Please make your papers meaningful in that you must write /
create them believing that
you have something important to say that others need to know.
If you are interested and
excited by your topic then the reader will be too. I believe –
know- that all of you have
something important to share with me, with each other and with
the world so please take
yourself seriously and put time into your paper. What you write
represents YOU and if you
do not care about what you write then that is the same as saying
you do not care about
yourself, which would be unfortunate….
Above
Expectation 5
/ A
4 / B Meets
Expectation 3
/ C
2 / D Below
Expectation 1
/ F

67. Paper is
meaningful to
you and has
something to
teach others
and expresses
this in the care
/ time you
have taken in
researching
and writing it.
Paper
represents you
and you are
proud of your
work.
Paper does not
have a strong
sense of being
meaningful.
Care has not
been great in
researching
and writing it.
Paper does not
show you in a
very strong
light.
Paper is not
meaningful
because you
have not taken
any time / care
in researching

68. and writing it.
Paper shows
you in a poor
light.
References:
All papers / creative projects must have an attached
bibliography that correctly lists
according to American Sociological Association style guidelines
ALL of the sources that you
have used including class readings / films / articles ...etc (see
HCT or google for example). If
there is something from the class readings that does not have
the full citation on it please
put as much as you have as I will know the rest. I need to be
able to find any source that
you have used in particular those not read in class so again
included titles, authors, dates,
publishers, pages…etc
Above
Expectation 5
/ A
4 / B Meets
Expectation 3
/ C
2 / D Below
Expectation 1
/ F

69. Paper has a Paper has a Paper has no
27
bibliography
that is
correctly
formatted
according to
the ASA style
guide (see
appendix)
bibliography
but it contains
incomplete
references /
errors.
bibliography.
Draft-Review:
All final drafts MUST be reviewed by me once before being
submitting it for a grade. This
is to ensure that you get the best possible grade and that you
have fully understood the
requirements.
Self-Evaluation:
The first sheet of your paper before your title page must be the
group-evaluation of the

70. paper. Please do not just list numbers– rather please write a
sentence of two for each
section explaining why you chose the number / grade you did
(5=A, 4=B, 3=C, 2=D,
1=F). The purpose of this is for YOU to go through your paper
and compare it to this
rubric. You are to decide for each of the criteria listed where
your paper belongs in relation
to the given descriptions. You must rank your paper using the
numbers but also write a
few sentences explaining your choice. This is both your
opportunity to look at your own
work critically and to ask me for help- to take responsibility for
where you are in terms of
your writing process. Please look at this not as an exercise
merely in self-criticism but
rather a way to learn about yourself and the development of
your thinking / writing
process. I will use these as a means to evaluate you both in
relation to your work and in
relation to your understanding of your work.
On your final version (for due date see syllabus) you need to
decide what overall grade you
would give yourself and why. -
Re-writes:
Re-writing is part of your process. If you make significant
changes in drafts (esp. near the
end) use TRACK-CHANGES (I may use them as well) so I can
see what change you have
made or BOLD changes. You must include a new self-
evaluation and mention the changes
that you have made and the difference that these changes have
made to your paper as well

71. as your overall understanding of the topic, your writing abilities
and to lastly to your
potential grade.
28
Final Exam+ Group Presentations
Your group presentation is your mandatory in-class final exam.
It is possible you/your
group will have presented before this time but you are still
required to attend. All groups
must do a group presentation that involves every member of the
group (please practice so
there is time for everyone to share their part). Presentations
should take the main theme
of your project / what you learned / what is important /
interesting about it and turn it
into a creative / interactive / unique presentation. Each group
will have about 5-10 mins.
depending on the number of groups (dates and times TBA in
class but they will be last 2-3
class periods). Please find a balance between sharing
information and doing an activity to
engage your audience and to best illustrate the meaning of your
information. Do not only
lecture and share information or only do an activity. The best
presentations do both!
Please try not to use YouTube videos / films …etc unless you

72. made them and if you do keep
the time limit to no more than 3 mins. If you choose to use
PowerPoint slides then use
them to share key quotes, concepts, graphs, data, images…etc
and use them well so that
your presentation is interactive.
The best presentations are original, creative, interactive,
informative and even
entertaining! You may choose to do a skit, create a song or
poem or any other more
creative format that conveys the overall meaning of your group
project. The worst
presentations are unoriginal, uncreative, non-interactive, non-
informative and at worst
boring.
Celebrate your learning and feel proud to teach / share with
others what you have
learned.
Presentation
involved all group
members, clearly
identified point of
Project (argument
/ thesis
/question), used
theory and key
readings, involved
audience in an
activity/discussion
and was creative
and thoughtful=A
Presentation
involved all
group

73. members, but
didn’t clearly
identify point
of Project
(argument/
thesis
/question),
but still used
theory and/or
key readings,
sort of
involved
audience in an
activity
/discussion
and was
somewhat
creative/
thoughtful=B
Presentation
involved all
group
members, but
didn’t clearly
identify point
of Project
(argument/
thesis
/question),
didn’t use
theory
and/or key
readings, sort
of involved
audience in

74. an activity
/discussion
but wasn’t
creative/
thoughtful=C
Presentation
didn’t involve
all group
members,
didn’t identify
point of
Project
(argument/
thesis
/question),
and didn’t use
theory and/or
key readings,
didn’t involve
audience in an
activity
/discussion
and wasn’t
creative/
professional=D
Presentation
didn’t meet
any of the
prescribed
criteria=F

75. 29
Group Project On-Line Portfolio
Pls. include all the following when you upload your Group
Project.
1.Group Paper (upload) (if you did a creative project pls. give
me on a CD/DVD..etc.)
2. Group Contract (scan)
3. Group Meeting Vibes (scan)
4. Any data such as interviews / surveys…etc. (scan)
5. Group Self-evaluation, (what grade the group thinks they
deserve on their paper and
why using the paper Rubric. If you have done your presentation
before you do this, then
you can also talk about how it went / your grade…etc. This
should be the same for all
group members and get uploaded with the group paper)
6. Individual group evaluation (your personal reflection on your
role / grade in the group
that is posted in your Journal).
All Stress inhibits true and effective learning~ Anon
*************************Final Self
Evaluation:*******************************
Please write this last (this in addition to your Final Journal
Review) and state briefly what
grade you think you have created in this course for yourself and
why. This is your chance

76. to explain issues that may have affected your work and anything
else you feel would be
important for me to know about you. Also, evaluate your class
participation. Ask yourself
if you were 'generous' with your thoughts, energy...etc. or did
you just come to class and
'take' but not 'give'? If that was the case explain why and how
you feel about that (imagine
going to a pot-luck with no dish but still eating...)
Please write this / Upload in your On-Line Journal (it doesn’t
count as a journal entry) and
title: Final Self-Evaluation
----------------------------------------------
30
---------------------------------------------------------
“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect
wood and don’t assign them
tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless
immensity of the sea.”–
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
What do you think?
You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach
him [her] to
learn by creating curiosity, he [she] will continue the learning
process as long as
he[she] lives~ Clay P. Bedford

77. The Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz are:
1. Be Impeccable with your Word: Speak with integrity. Say
only what
you mean. Avoid using the Word to speak against yourself or to
gossip about
others. Use the power of your Word in the direction of truth and
love.
2. Don’t Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is
a projection
of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to
the opinions
and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless
suffering.
3. Don’t Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really
want.
Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid
misunderstandings,
31
sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can
completely
transform your life.
4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be
different
when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any
circumstance, simply do
your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and

78. regret.
Apply them to your life / learning / life-learning
Stop complaining and claiming - Start doing and being!-
Phoebe Godfrey
32
Signature Sheet
Please Copy You will be given a copy of this contact in class
and will be asked to sign it then
or return it in the next week. I will keep it until the end of the
semester and then I will give
it back to you so you can write about how you did in your Final
Self-Evaluation.
I_________________________________________________hav
e read / reviewed Dr. Godfrey’s (Phoebe’s)
Course Guidebook and have understood that my level of
learning and my reflecting GRADE
in her class is dependent on following our guidelines, in doing
my own work and ultimately
taking responsibility for myself / my learning.
I know that if I have any questions / issues / problems with any

79. of the requirements /
readings / topics / class meetings / my grades …etc I can always
choose to email /
approach her after class in order to address my concerns. If I
chose not to contact / talk
to her then I know that I must take full responsibility for
addressing or for not
addressing my questions / issues / problems myself.
In addition, since this class is based on my full participation I
agree NOT to use my phone
for distraction. The reason for this is to ensure that I stay
focused for the benefit of myself
and everyone else in the class. Finally, I agree NOT to
photograph or record any aspect of
the class (including peers or the instructor) unless permission is
explicitly given
beforehand.
Signed ______________________________________________
Date_______________

80. 33
Professionalizing Your Learning
The manner in which your course is organized is an excellent
learning experience to prepare you
for the professional world. Whatever you do after UCONN it is
up to you to make it happen-
hence the best trait you can learn is self-motivation and
personal accountability. Additionally,
employers and graduate schools are looking for people who
again are self-motivate, have strong
critical thinking skills, work well with others, have emotional
intelligence, strong written and
verbal skills and are creative. All of these skills can be learned
in your class if you chose to learn
them. Here are some other ways you can look at your learning
including your learning about
yourself that can translate to finding out what you want to do,
translating those interests into
ideas and then sharing those interests and ideas with others
through essays for graduate school or
to a resume for employment.

81. Course Work Skills Involved Graduate School Link
Employment
Link
Personal Reward
Journals Critical Thinking,
Critical and
Personal
Reflection,
Analysis, Synthesis
Writing, Self-
Motivation
Aids in Figuring
Interests / Strengths /
Weaknesses, acts as
Practice for GRE’s
and Graduate Essays,
and can be
Highlighted as a Skill
Aids in Figuring
Interests /
Strengths /
Weaknesses, and
Writing can be
Highlighted as a
Skill
Greater
Knowledge of
Self, Increase
Confidence in
Writing and
Critical Thinking,

82. increased Self-
Motivation
In Class
Participation
Critical Thinking,
Verbal Skills,
Social Skills,
Public Speaking
and Ability to be
Articulate
Aids in Interview
Skills, and Public
Speaking can be
highlighted out as a
Skill
Aids in Interview
skills, and Public
Speaking can be
highlighted out
as a Skill
Increase
Confidence in
Public Speaking /
Interviews
Socializing /
Ability to be
Articulate
Service
Learning /
Group

83. Project /
Research
Papers
(these Skills
will vary
based on
what you do
but Graduate
Schools and
Employers
will be
Interested to
Learn about
Specific
Critical Thinking,
Project
Management,
Planning Skills,
Communication,
Project Outreach,
Team Leadership
Skills and / or
Team Player Skills,
Time Management,
Social Skills,
Emotional
Intelligence, Self-
Motivation and
Group Motivation,
Creativity and
Innovation, Project
Critical Thinking,
Project Management,
Planning Skills,

84. Communication,
Project Outreach,
Team Leadership
Skills and / or Team
Player Skills, Time
Management, Social
Skills, Emotional
Intelligence, Self-
Motivation and
Group Motivation,
Creativity and
Innovation, Project
Assessment, Writing
Individually and as a
Critical
Thinking, Project
Management,
Planning Skills,
Communication,
Project Outreach,
Team Leadership
Skills and / or
Team Player
Skills, Time
Management,
Social Skills,
Emotional
Intelligence,
Self-Motivation
and Group
Motivation,
Critical Thinking,
Project
Management,

85. Planning Skills,
Communication,
Project Outreach,
Team Leadership
Skills and / or
Team Player
Skills, Time
Management,
Social Skills,
Emotional
Intelligence, Self-
Motivation and
Group
Motivation,
34
Projects –
highlight
accordingly
based on
what you are
applying to)
Assessment,
Writing
Individually and as
a Team and Public
Speaking –
Individually and As
a Team
Team and Public
Speaking –

86. Individually and As a
Team
Creativity and
Innovation,
Project
Assessment,
Writing
Individually and
as a Team and
Public Speaking
–Individually and
As a Team
Creativity and
Innovation,
Project
Assessment,
Writing
Individually and
as a Team and
Public Speaking –
Individually and
As a Team
Class
Activities
Communication,
Group Leadership
Skills and / or
Group Member
Skills, Time
Management,
Social Skills,
Emotional

87. Intelligence, Self-
Motivation and
Group Motivation,
Creativity and
Innovation skills.
Aids in Interview
Skills, Public
Speaking, Social
Skills, Emotional
Intelligence, Self-
Motivation and
Group Motivation,
Creativity and
Innovation skills.
Aids in Interview
Skills, Public
Speaking, Social
Skills, Emotional
Intelligence,
Self-Motivation
and Group
Motivation,
Creativity and
Innovation skills.
Greater
Knowledge of
Self, Increase
Confidence in
Socializing,
Physical and
Creative
Activities