The work for this course will be divided as follows (and please note that I will be posting more specific assignments for each of these categories as the semester progresses):

I. Participation (10%) A seminar is, at its heart, a social gathering that produces and relies on informed conversation. We learn from saying what is on our mind and listening to how others respond to those ideas. Participants in this seminar should come to every class prepared to discuss the week’s readings, participate in the activities we have planned, and otherwise contribute to the learning of the group.

II. Seminar Presentation (20%) Each student will work in a small group to take over class for a week–we will coordinate on planning and work for that week of seminar (see starred entries on the syllabus for choices).

III. Course Blogging and Short Assignments (20%) Students will contribute regular assigned posts to our course blog, npobjects.wordpress.com. (Please see the schedule for writing prompts). We will use this blog to extend conversations outside of the classroom that begin in seminar, to explore key readings and ideas within the course, and to share work in progress over the course of the term. Think of this as an essay assignment that you are writing incrementally, devoting the work and thought to it that would any other writing assignment.

IV. Collaborative History Project (20%) Each member of our seminar will contribute to a communal project that will be published digitally.

V. Final Project (30%) Your final project will focus on an object, either of historical significance, or from everyday life, and trace its development and history through time. By midterm you will develop a proposal for your project, which can be a traditional essay, a digital project, a creative piece, or some combination of these. It is my hope that this project will somehow intersect with your honors thesis work, though this is not a requirement.