Quick Time™a nd a
TIFF ( LZW) d ecomp res sor
ar e nee ded to see this pictur e.
Quick Time™a nd a
TIFF ( LZW) d ecomp res sor
ar e nee ded to see this pictur e.
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LOS ANGELES
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND LETTERS
DEPARTMENT OF LIBERAL STUDIES
FALL 2007
COURSE NUMBER, TITLE, AND UNITS: Liberal Studies 301: Interdisciplinary Investigation (4)
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Patrick B. Sharp
OFFICE LOCATION: E&T 411
OFFICE HOURS: W 2-5 pm & by appt.
WEB: http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/psharp/
EMAIL: psharp@calstatela.edu
CLASS MEETINGS: M W 11:40 am-1:20 pm, FA 345
TURNITIN.COM COURSE CODE: 1968014
TURNITIN.COM PASSWORD: perils07
OFFICE PHONE: (323) 343-5811
1. COURSE DESCRIPTIONS.
A. CATALOG DESCRIPTION. Prerequisite: Engl 102. Principles and techniques of interdisciplinary problem
solving; nature and limitations of knowledge, evaluation of evidence, strategy and methods of integrating materials
drawn from different disciplines.
B. MORE COMPLETE COURSE DESCRIPTION. This first course in the required Liberal Studies core both
emphasizes the importance of disciplinary knowledge and interrogates divisions among the disciplines. We will
explore how knowledge is formed at different disciplinary locations such as the physical sciences (e.g. evolutionary
theory), the social sciences (e.g. ethnography), and the humanities (e.g. ideological analysis). A better understanding
of knowledge produced by the disciplines allows us to begin thinking about interdisciplinary knowledge production,
which is what will be required of you in the rest of your Liberal Studies courses. Throughout the quarter, we will
also work on improving your critical analysis, information literacy, and writing skills.
2. PROFESSIONAL STATEMENTS.
A. STATEMENT OF REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION. The Arts and Letters faculty fully support the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA). The members of the faculty will provide reasonable accommodation to any student
with a disability who is registered with the Office of Students with Disabilities (OSD) who needs and requests
accommodation. The faculty may wish to contact the OSD to verify the presence of a disability and confirm that
accommodation is necessary. The OSD will arrange and provide for the accommodation. Reasonable
accommodation may involve allowing a student to use an interpreter, note taker, or reader; accommodation may be
needed during class sessions and for administration of examinations. The intent of the ADA in requiring
consideration of reasonable accommodation is not to give a particular student an unfair advantage over other
students, but simply to allow a student with disability to have an equal opportunity to be successful.
B. STUDENT CONDUCT. The instructor of this course assumes that all students will conduct themselves as mature
citizens of the campus community and will conduct themselves in a manner congruent with university policies and
regulations. Inappropriate conduct is subject to discipline as provided for in Title 5, California Code of Regulations
(see "Student Conduct" in the CSULA General Catalog). ACADEMIC HONESTY is expected of all students in
accordance with University policy. There are established university reporting procedures if a student is suspected of
committing an academically dishonest act. I have a zero-tolerance policy with plagiarism: if you plagiarize, I
will report you. For more information see "Academic Honesty" in the CSULA General Catalog and go to
http://www.calstatela.edu/academic/senate/handbook/ch5a.htm.
C. TECHNOLOGY. For the successful completion of this course, each student should have the following:
 Ample access to a computer (e.g., in CSULA computer labs or at home).
 Knowledge of how to use a word processing program such as Microsoft Word.
 An email account (available free of charge to all CSULA students).
 A basic understanding of how to use the internet.
Note: Introductory courses on how to use a computer (e.g. CS 160: Introduction to Computers) are available to
students who do not have a mastery of basic computer skills.
3.
STUDENT OUTCOMES.
LBS 301 HAS THE FOLLOWING LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Understand the principles of discipline-based investigation underlying the major traditional academic disciplines,
including the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

Understand basic assumptions and strategies (epistemological, heuristic, and critical) underlying both discipline-based
and interdisciplinary intellectual inquiries.

Recognize the contributions of major theorists in the development of intellectual history.

Develop skills in reading, comprehending, and analyzing interdisciplinary theories and methods.
Dr. Sharp
LBS 301
Liberal Studies 301 Syllabus
SATISFIES THE FOLLOWING STANDARDS FOR THE MULTIPLE SUBJECT
ESTABLISHED BY THE CALIFORNIA COMMISSION ON TEACHER CREDENTIALING:
Fall 2007: Page 2
MATTER PROGRAM CURRICULUM


Understand significant ideas, structures and values in the disciplines that underlie the K-8 curriculum (Standard 1.2).
Analyze situations; synthesize information from multiple sources; make decisions on rational bases; communicate
skillfully; and appreciate diverse perspectives (Standard 1.3).

Develop awareness of fundamental values inherent in the connected disciplines, and study their basic concepts,
principles and nomenclatures (Standard 4.4).

Examine and develop higher-level skills of thinking and research practice as they occur in the disciplines (Standard
4.5).

Extend understanding of abstract ideas by learning and articulating applications of the ideas to specific situations,
common problems, and current issues (Standard 5.2).

Examine human differences and similarities such as sex, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and sexual orientation
(Standard 8.1).

Learn to use current and emerging technologies to increase subject matter knowledge and understanding, and for
multiple applications including research, analysis, communication and presentation applications (Standard 9.2).

Introduced to ethical and social issues related to technology, including issues of access, equity, privacy, the protection
of children, and ownership of intellectual property (Standard 9.4)
LBS 301 SATISFIES THE FOLLOWING CONTENT SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE MULTIPLE SUBJECT MATTER PROGRAM
CURRICULUM ESTABLISHED BY THE CALIFORNIA COMMISSION ON TEACHER CREDENTIALING:

Improve mastery of a range of conventions in both spoken and written English, including varieties of sentence
structure, preferred usage and conventional forms of spelling, capitalization and punctuation in what is called
"standard" written English (Content Specification in Reading, Language, and Literature 2.1).

Develop understanding and mastery of the writing process, including the purpose and techniques of various prewriting
strategies and revising and editing subsequent drafts of writing. Improve mastery of diction, transitions, point-of-view,
and the principles of organization (Content Specification in Reading, Language, and Literature 2.2).

Learn the principles of composition, such as paragraphing, transitional phrases, appropriate vocabulary, and context.
Learn to analyze writing according to conventions in different genres, including narrative, interpretive, descriptive,
persuasive and expository writing, as well as summaries, letters, and research reports. Improve understanding and
mastery of bibliographic citations in a standard format (Content Specification in Reading, Language, and Literature
2.3).

Develop their ability to use a variety of research sources, both print and electronic. Learn to interpret such research,
putting to use their findings and interpretations to construct their own arguments. Develop understanding of the
importance of citing research sources, including using recognizable and accepted conventions for doing so (Content
Specification in Reading, Language, and Literature 2.5).

Analyze narrative and expository texts for both literary elements and structural features. Students learn to identify
themes derived from cultural patterns and symbols found in rituals, mythologies, and traditions. Students learn to
identify and analyze evidence of an author’s or narrator’s perspective in both fiction and non-fiction. Students learn to
identify and evaluate structural devices, and they examine the connections among organizational structures, the writer’s
viewpoint, and the goals of reading (Content Specification in Reading, Language, and Literature 3.1).

Analyze texts in different genres and disciplines according to their structure, organization, and purpose. Students
develop understanding of structural features and their applications in various types of expository and narrative
materials. Students learn to understand and evaluate the use of elements of persuasive argument in print, videos, and in
other media (Content Specification in Reading, Language, and Literature 3.2).

Analyze both implicit and explicit themes and interpret both literal and figurative meanings in texts, from a range of
cultures and genres, using textual support for inferences, conclusions, and generalizations they draw from any work.
Students learn to evaluate the structure, purpose, and potential uses of visual text features, and develop ability to
recognize and analyze instances of bias and stereotyping in a text (Content Specification in Reading, Language, and
Literature 3.3).
4. ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES.
A. ATTENDANCE. Attendance is mandatory. Any absences not excused by a note from a doctor or a dean will
negatively affect your participation grade (see participation below). I will take roll during every class. If you have
an illness or family emergency that prevents you from attending class, you need to contact me as soon as possible (email is usually the surest way). If you are late for class, it is your responsibility to make sure I don't have you
recorded as absent. If you miss a class for any reason, whether excused or unexcused, it is your responsibility to
contact someone from class to find out what you missed (do this before the next class meeting). You are also
responsible for getting copies of any handout that was given out in your absence. After your second unexcused
absence, any additional absence will knock 30 points off of your final grade (see Grade Scale below for the points
scale for this class).
Dr. Sharp
Liberal Studies 301 Syllabus
Fall 2007: Page 3
B. PARTICIPATION. Overall, 75 points of your final grade are based on in-class participation. This does not mean
simply showing up. Your participation will be evaluated using the following criteria:
 Doing the reading assignments before we discuss them.
 Turning in writing assignments on time.
 Active participation in all small-group work.
 Speaking in class discussions.
 Listening (in the active sense).
 Bringing the appropriate texts to class each day.
 Improving your writing in every regard, including your grammar and spelling.
Your participation grade will be negatively affected by any of the following (this is a short list):
 Failure to do the readings on time.
 Unexcused absences.
 Talking about non-course-related subjects during small group activities.
 Talking while someone else has the floor.
 Coming to class late on a regular basis.
 Eating during class.
 Leaving on your electronic devices. All cell phones, pagers, and other personal electronic devices should
be turned off and put away during class. If your phone does ring, you'd better not answer it… just turn it
off. No texting or other forms of electronically mediated communication are to be used during class.
C. IN-CLASS EXAMS. You will have four quizzes in this class worth a total of 50 points. You do not need to bring
a bluebook for these quizzes, but you will need your own copy of the course reader. You must bring an 8 1/2" x 11"
bluebook for the midterm and final exam. You will have a midterm exam worth 150 points and a final exam worth
150 points. Each of these exams will consist of film-clip analysis, multiple choice questions, short answer questions,
passage identifications (from the course readings), and passage analysis. Refer to the course schedule for the
breakdown of each exam. For the film-clip analysis, I will show you a clip from a film or television show that we
have watched and discussed in class. You will then have to identify the full name of the filmmaker, the title of the
film, and write a brief analysis of the clip based on our previous discussions and your own observations. This means
that you should definitely take notes both when screening films in class and during our discussion afterwards. The
multiple-choice questions will be straightforward factual questions about the readings. The short answer
questions will be straightforward questions about the readings that require a one-to-four sentence response. For the
passage identifications I will give you a key passage from a text we have read for class. You will have to give me
the full name of the author and the full name of the text that the passage comes from. For the passage analysis, you
will have to conduct a close reading of the passage based on our previous discussions and your own observations. In
the passage analysis and the film-clip analysis, you should be able to articulate the importance of the passage or
clip for the larger text as a whole. For example, you could discuss how the details of a passage demonstrate a major
theme or concept that is central to the author's argument in the text. All in-class exams are closed-book and closednotes.
D. RESEARCH AND WRITING ASSIGNMENTS. You will have complete several research assignments in a research
log (25 pts), a paper proposal (50 pts), an annotated bibliography (50 pts), and an interdisciplinary critical essay (450
pts). All formal written assignments must be submitted by the due deadline to Turnitin.com, and a hard copy
must be brought to class on the date specified in the schedule. Students agree that by taking this course all required
writing assignments may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of
plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database solely
for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers. You may submit your papers in such a way that no
identifying information about you is included. Another option is that you may request, in writing, that your papers
not be submitted to Turnitin.com. However, if you choose this option you will be required to provide documentation
to substantiate that the papers are your original work and do not include any plagiarized material.
E. GRADE SCALE. Your grade will be based on a 1000-point scale. You must complete every assignment to get a
passing grade for this class. I will be happy to talk to you about how to improve your work before an assignment is
due, as well as discuss with you how to improve for future assignments. However, all grades for this course are
final: I will not listen to any arguments that your grade should be improved. Your grade at the end of the quarter
may be curved, so the following is only an approximation of the grade scale for this class:
925-1000 pts = A
900-924 pts = A875-899 pts = B+
825-874 pts = B
800-824 pts = B775-799 pts = C+
725-774 pts = C
700-724 pts = C-
675-699 pts = D+
625-674 pts = D
600-624 pts = D000-599 pts = F
Dr. Sharp
5.
6.
Liberal Studies 301 Syllabus
Fall 2007: Page 4
REQUIRED TEXTS






Patrick Sharp, Savage Perils
Joe Moran, Interdisciplinarity
The MLA Guide for Writers of Research Papers
H. G. Wells, The War of the Worlds
Brief Guide for Writing Critical Analysis Papers (Reader, CSULA Bookstore)
Course Reader (CSULA Bookstore)
SCHEDULE (SUBJECT TO CHANGE).
Mon
Wed
Sep 24
Sep 26
Course Intro; Screen Frankenstein
Read: Moran, Interdisciplinarity pp. 1-18
Read: Brief Guide for Writing Section 1
Mon
Oct 1
Wed
Oct 3
Read: Kuhn, selections from The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (reader)
Read: Brief Guide for Writing Section 4
Lecture: Ideology, Scientific Method, and Trust (Shapin)
In Class: Quiz #1 (10 pts) on Kuhn
Read: Sharp, Savage Perils pp. 11-30
Read: Brief Guide for Writing Section 2
In Class: Quiz #2 (10 pts) on Sharp
Mon
Oct 8
Wed
Oct 10
Mon
Wed
Oct 15
Oct 17
Library Research Seminar: Meet in Library Instruction Room #1 (1033A)
Midterm (150 pts) Covers Frankenstein, Moran, Kuhn, Sharp, Darwin, and Brief Guide for Writing sections
1-4. Format: clip analysis (1x40pts), multiple choice (5x5pts), short answer (5x5pts), passage IDs (4x5pts),
passage analysis (1x40pts)
Mon
Oct 22
Wed
Oct 24
Read: Boas, "Methods of Ethnology" (reader)
Read: Hammersley and Atkinson, "What is Ethnography?" (reader)
Lecture: Four paradigmatic traditions in anthropology (Stocking)
Read: Turner, "The Significance of the Frontier in American History" (reader)
Lecture: The History of History (Iggers)
Mon
Wed
Oct 29
Oct 31
In Class: Screen 2001: A Space Odyssey part I
In Class: Screen 2001: A Space Odyssey part II
Research Log (25 pts) and Final Paper Proposal (50 pts) DUE (including 3 PEAR paragraphs)
Mon
Wed
Nov 5
Nov 7
Read: Moran, Interdisciplinarity pp. 19-49
Meet in Library (room TBA): Research for Annotated Bibliography
In Class: Quiz #4 (10 pts) research exercises
Mon
Wed
Nov 12
Nov 14
Campus Closed – No Class
Read: Wells, The War of the Worlds part I
Mon
Wed
Nov 19
Nov 21
Read: Wells, The War of the Worlds part II
In Class: Screen Star Trek: Insurrection part I
Annotated Bibliography DUE (50 pts)
Mon
Nov 26
Wed
Nov 28
In Class: Screen Star Trek: Insurrection part II
Read: Brief Guide for Writing Sections 5 & 6
In Class: Review for final exam
Mon
Dec 3
Read: Darwin, selections from The Descent of Man (reader)
Read: Brief Guide for Writing Section 3
In Class: Quiz #3 (20 pts) on Darwin
Read: Sharp, Savage Perils pp. 31-47
10:45-1:15pm—Final Exam (150 pts)
Final Paper DUE (450 pts) at the time of the final exam
Electonic Portfolio DUE (pdf documents burned to CD)
Dr. Sharp
Liberal Studies 301 Syllabus
Fall 2007: Page 5
Reader Bibliography:
Boas, Franz. "Methods of Ethnology." 1920. Readings for a History of Anthropological Theory. Ed. Paul A.
Erickson and Liam D. Murphy. Orchard Park, New York: Broadview, 2001. 121-129.
Darwin, Charles. The Descent of Man 2nd ed. 1874. Amherst, New York: Prometheus, 1998. 1-15, 44-57, 130-135,
184-191, 641-643.
Hammersley, Martyn and Paul Atkinson. "What is Ethnography?" Ethnography: Principles in Practice 2nd ed. New
York: Routledge, 1995. 1-13.
Kuhn, Thomas. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions 2nd ed. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1970. 1-3, 10-13, 23-25,
52-59, 62-65, 136-139.
Turner, Frederick Jackson. "The Significance of the Frontier in American History." The Frontier in American
History. 1920. New York: Dover, 1996. 1-38.