Syllabus THE 100 91: Introduction to Television, Film and Theatre California State University, Dominguez Hills Spring Semester 2016 Units: 3 REQUIRED MATERIALS: Wilson, Edwin. The Theatre Experience. 12th Edition. New York: McGraw Hill, 2010. A Raisin in the Sun. Lorraine Hansberry. COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course aims to develop an appreciation for the artistic expressions of theatre drama, ballet, mime, opera, circus, musical comedy and mass media. The course will enhance a student s ability to develop insightful judgments about these forms by learning more about their production processes. This course meets the General Education Requirement for Fine and Performing Arts. STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES/OUTCOMES: In addition to the intellectual development acquired from readings (online and textbooks), audio/visual materials, and online discussions, students will develop communication and critical thinking skills by the regular use of email, identification analysis, essays, quizzes, online papers, and reviews. Students will gain cultural and historical knowledge from the study of theatre history and drama literature, and also aesthetic and perceptual training from the analysis of the artistic contributions of actors, directors, playwrights, and filmmakers. Assignments are designed to develop a student s organization, analysis, and online interactive skills, while also providing you with opportunities for creativity, aesthetic training, and the relevant integration of your learning with modern life. By the end of this course, successful students will: Describe historical movements in theatre.
List the differences between stage acting and film acting. Identify the contributions of playwrights, performers, designers, and technicians to a work of film, television or theatre. Critically examine theatre as a cultural expression in African, European, American and Asian/Pacific societies. Identify well known theatre theorists and practitioners, and significant concepts. Break down scenes from literature to distinguish the parts of a play into themes, characters, plot, language and spectacle. Summarize works of dramatic literature, and distinguish between dramatic genres. Identify the elements of a dramatic production and judge the artistic contributions. Write a review that evaluates the success of a film and a theatre production. Write smooth sentences without errors in punctuation, spelling, or grammar. Produce well structured writings that use introductions and conclusions effectively. Explain the director s role in the overall production of a play or film. Distinguish the duties of all members of a technical theatre crew. Describe the relationship of the spectator to the performance. ASSESSMENT METHODS: Students gain analysis, communication and critical thinking skills from daily lectures, in class reports, reading assignments, discussions and cooperative group work. In order to measure all of the above student learning objectives/outcomes, the following methods of assessment will be used: o Online Essays help students to research and evaluate items from the class outline. o Quizzes and Exams assess the student's comprehension of theatre history and drama literature derived from the class, readings, and research. o Reviews of Films and Play Productions are writing exercises that will help students to interpret, evaluate, and explain the success of the elements of dramatic production. The paper includes well researched information and supporting material arranged in a clear organization and using appropriate language and style. Instructor assessment and grading criteria is based upon the following rubric: A: paper well organized (use of introduction, conclusion, paragraphs with a single main point, evidence from research to support points, and transitions); sentences smooth and carefully crafted; virtually no errors in punctuation, spelling, grammar; words chosen with precision; informal or dialect used only when appropriate; paper avoids triteness and generalizations; language fresh and vivid; paper is tight, not wordy; Quotations are used to support the writer s points B: work well organized, but paragraph structure sometimes disjointed; a few awkward passages and errors in mechanics; language sometimes general, may lack freshness or precision; none of errors glaring or highly distracting.
C: paper well organized, but paragraphs often disunited or misplaced; shows logical plan but writing is wordy, general, imprecise, or trite; sentences awkward but meaning is clear; errors in mechanics but not highly distracting; awkward use of quotations to support the writer s points; D: poorly organized, but a recognizable thesis exists; meaning not clear in many sentences due to poor construction; words imprecise, trite, vague; F: paper lacks a thesis; language muddled and unclear; errors in mechanics are distracting. NOTE: If I determine that you need assistance with your writing beyond my ability to provide it, I will assign you to a CLASS tutor and receive reports from your tutor. If you do not work with the tutor until I say such work is no longer needed, I will reduce your grade by 20%. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: Students are advised to refer to the University Catalogue for our policy on Academic Integrity. All forms of cheating or plagiarism are unacceptable. DISABLED STUDENT SERVICES: Students with disabilities who require special services should notify Disabled Student Services (Welch Hall B 250; Ext. 3660), and also inform the instructor that they are registered with DSS. Please refer to the University Catalogue for more details. POLICY ON LATE WORK: This is not a class that you can do at the end of the semester. Like a "face to face" class, assignments are required throughout the semester and the work is due on the dates indicated in the assignment pages. If you have contacted an instructor prior to a due date and received permission to submit work late, you may have one week after the due date to send it in without penalty. After that, late assignments are not accepted and given a zero grade. College level success depends on your ability to schedule responsibly, and sadly, some students only learn this after being penalized for poor time management. You need to read the schedule below and plan when you will begin assignments in order to complete them correctly. It is highly advised that you begin your upcoming week by reading the Assignment page for that week on the previous weekend. REQUIREMENTS:
1. COMPLETING ASSIGNMENTS: Students are required to submit work correctly and on time. Online education is student centered and requires that students take more responsibility for their learning than in usual face to face classes. For that same reason, extra credit is not offered in this class. 2. PARTICIPATION: In order to maintain their active participation for the class, students are expected to view the live or archived TV/web cast broadcast each week (<www.dominguezonline.edu>). Students are also expected to log onto the Blackboard web site at least two times a week in order to read online announcements, assignments and lectures, and complete work for the Discussion Board. Students receive participation points for contributing to the Discussion Board on Blackboard each week (for 12 weeks). This includes both a "new thread" for 10 points and a "reply" to another student's posting for the other ten points (at least three sentences each). Both posts are due on Thursday of that week at midnight. The reason for the Discussion Board responses is to give you a chance to reflect upon the readings in our chapters and the broadcast discussions. For example, after the chapters on Acting, you may simply wish to make your "new thread" a comment about how actors must have to have good memories in order to learn so many lines for a stage play. Or you might pose a question, wondering whether some actors who don't like to memorize might prefer to be in films where they won't have to learn so many lines. This would allow another student to easily "reply" to your prompt, either to agree or take an opposite view of the issue. Thus, the Discussion Board is mainly for discussion and is more informal and subjective than all other writing assignments for the course. Students should use the first discussion board to introduce themselves to the rest of the class and share what they think they might get out of this class (30pts) 3. WRITING ASSIGNMENTS: Students are required to write one character analysis for A Raisin in the Sun, one review of a film of their own choice, and one review of a play production of their own choice (each paper should be two pages long at least 500 words). For a good grade on these papers, students need to follow the directions in the Writing Guidelines (covered in opening Broadcasts and posted online under Course Materials). Students are expected to avoid all forms of plagiarism in their writing assignments. Copying from web sites will only result in a zero grade for the student. 4. QUIZZES: Nine multiple choice quizzes (20 points each) linked only from the weekly assignment page will help students comprehend knowledge from the chapter readings. Quizzes are due by Midnight on Thursday of that week. NOTE:Though you are required to often read two chapters per week, the quiz will be on only one chapter. But the other chapter will also be on the exams later in the class. 5. EXAMS: One Mid Term and one Final Exam will be used to assess the student's familiarity with material from the chapter readings and the broadcasts. The exam will incorporate true/false and multiple choice and will focus only on the identification items highlighted in Broadcast graphics and discussed during the broadcasts. These identification items are not available anywhere on the web site, so in order to find out what's on the test, you need to tune in to the broadcasts or watch the archived versions.
GRADE DISTRIBUTION: Participation 27% One Discussion Board each week (20 x 12 weeks) 240 points Completing Introduce Yourself DB 30 points Writing Assignments 30% Character Analysis for Raisin 50 points Review of a Film 100 points Review of a Play Production 150 points Quizzes 18% Nine quizzes (20 points each) 180 points Exams 25% Mid Term 100 points Final Exam 150 points Total 1000 points GRADING SCALE: A = 910 1000 A = 900 B+ = 880 890 B = 810 870 B = 800
C+ = 780 790 C = 710 770 C = 700 NC = 699 & below CRITERIA FOR GRADE OF A Keeping in mind that the grade of A is often associated with outstanding or superior work, to obtain an A in this course you must not only meet the minimum criteria delineated in the course requirements, but also accomplish each of the following three objectives: 1) Participate in broadcasts and complete assignments on time. 2) Show a clear understanding of class material by knowing terminology items and developing well thought out writings on exams and web postings. 3) Compose well written papers that reveal strong organization, logical progression, meaningful paragraphing, independent thought, engagement with the topic, and readable, unambiguous sentences that are virtually free of errors in grammar, usage, spelling, or mechanics. WEEKLY SCHEDULE: Week 1 (Feb. 4) Introduction to "Introduction to Film, TV and Theatre" Week Visit each "button" on the THE 100 Panel: Assignments, Syllabus, Faculty Information, Course Material, Assignments, Web Sites, Communication, Discussion Board, and Resources. Visit each hot link on these locations (click on each blue underlined site) and make yourself aware of what information is posted there. Click on the Discussion Button in the THE100 Panel and write a short introduction of yourself and what you hope to get out of the class (thirty participation points). Watch the broadcast (Thursday, Feb. 4, from 3 to 4:30PM) for important information about the course content, grading and all assignments.
On the Discussion Board in Blackboard, tell us about yourself and your objectives in taking this course. Week 2 (Feb. 11) The Audience Go to the Assignment Page on Blackboard, preferably in the weekend prior to the broadcasts, to find out what's due. Always begin your week by reading the Assignment page for that week. Read Chapters 2 and 3 in Wilson's "The Theatre Experience" and the Lecture posted on the Course Material page. Take the textbook quiz by clicking on the hyperlink for the Chapter 2 quiz by Thursday, Feb. 11 at Midnight. Watch the broadcast (Thursday, Feb. 11, from 3 to 4:30pm) and post (or call in) your question or answer. Repeat this for every week of class! Post one "New Thread" and one "Reply" to the Discussion Board in Blackboard for twenty participation points by Sunday, Feb. 14, before midnight. Repeat this for every week of class. Week 3 (Feb. 18) Types of Plays (Tragedy and Comedy) Consult your Assignment Page for Week 3. Read Chapter 9 in Wilson and the Lecture in Course Material. Take the textbook quiz by clicking on the hyperlink for the Chapter 9 quiz by Thursday, Feb. 18 at Midnight. Watch the broadcast (Thursday, Feb. 18 at 3 4:30pm) and post a Discussion Board "thread" and "reply" by Sunday, midnight, Feb. 21. Week 4 (Feb. 25) Scenery Read Chapter 10 in Wilson and Lecture in Course Material. Take textbook quiz #3 by clicking on the hyperlink for the Chapter 10 quiz by Thursday, Feb. 25 at midnight. Participate in the broadcast (Feb. 25) and post a Discussion Board "thread" and "reply" by Sunday, midnight, Feb. 28. Week 5 (March 3) Acting Read Chapter 5 in Wilson, and the Lecture in Course Material. Take the textbook quiz by clicking on the hyperlink for the Chapter 5 quiz by Thursday, March 3 at midnight. Participate in the broadcast (March 3) and post a Discussion Board "thread" and "reply" by Sunday, midnight, March 6. Week 6 (March 10) Directing Read Chapter 6 in Wilson, and the Lecture in Course Material.
Take the textbook quiz by clicking on the hyperlink for the Chapter 6 quiz by Thursday, March 10 at midnight. Participate in the broadcast (March 10) and post a Discussion Board "thread" and "reply" by Sunday, midnight, March 13. Week 7 (March 17) Raisin in the Sun Read Lorraine Hansberry's Raisin in the Sun and attach a two page (400 500 word) analysis of one character to the "Complete Assignment" link in the Week 5 list of assignments by Sunday, March 20, at midnight. Refer to the Writing Guidelines before composing your paper Participate in the broadcast (March 17) and post a Discussion Board "thread" and "reply" by Sunday, midnight, March 20. Week 8 (March 24) Theatre of Diversity and Musicals Read Chapters 13 and 15 in Wilson and the Lecture in Course Material. Take the textbook quiz by clicking on the hyperlink for the Chapter 13 quiz by Thursday, March 24 at midnight Participate in the broadcast (March 24) and post a Discussion Board "thread" and "reply" by Sunday, midnight, March 27. Take the Mid term Exam anytime between Monday, March 28, at 9:00 AM, and Friday, April 1 at Midnight. It will include Chapters 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, and "Raisin." Students who do not take the midterm will be dropped! CSUDH Spring Break (No Broadcast March 31) Week 9 (April 7) Playwrighting Read Chapters 7 and 8 in Wilson Take the textbook quiz by clicking on the hyperlink for the Chapter 8 quiz by midnight on Thursday, April 7 Participate in the broadcast (April 7) and post a Discussion Board "thread" and "reply" by Sunday, midnight, April 10. Week 10 (April 14) Television Read the lecture under Course Materials on Television Production After viewing a feature length film in a movie theatre, compose and attach a two page (400 500 word) Film Review to the Assignment link by midnight on Sunday, April 17. Refer to the Writing Guidelines before composing your review Participate in the broadcast (April 14) and post a Discussion Board "thread" and "reply" by Sunday, midnight, April 17. Week 11 (April 21) Stages
Read Chapter 4 in Wilson and Lecture in Course Material. Take the quiz for Chapter 4 by midnight on Thursday, April 21 Participate in the broadcast (April 21) and post a Discussion Board "thread" and "reply" by Sunday, midnight, April 24. Week 12 (April 28) TBA Read Chapter in Wilson and Lecture in Course Material. Take the textbook quiz by clicking on the hyperlink for the Chapter quiz by Thursday, April 28 at midnight Participate in the broadcast (April 28) and post a Discussion Board "thread" and "reply" by Sunday, midnight, May 1. Week 13 (May 5) Design: Costumes Read Chapter 11 in Wilson and Lecture in Course Material. After viewing a stage play in a professional or university theatre, compose and attach a two page (400 500 word) Stage Review to the Assignment link by Sunday, May 8 at midnight. Refer to the Writing Guidelines before composing your review. Participate in the broadcast (May 5) and post a Discussion Board "thread" and "reply" by Sunday, midnight, May 8. Week 14 (May 12) Lights and Sound Read Chapter 12 in Wilson and Lecture in Course Material. Take the textbook quiz by clicking on the hyperlink for the Chapter 12 quiz by Thursday, May 12 at midnight. Participate in the broadcast (May 12) and post a Discussion Board "thread" and "reply" by Sunday, midnight, May 15. Final Exam Take exam any time from Monday, May 16 to Friday, May 20 at midnight (covers Chapters 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15 and identification items from Film & TV). Evaluation of the class on Discussion Board all last week!