HTH 101 – Freshman Humanities Colloquium
Fall 2014 / Section 8
Tu/Th / 10:45-12
Science / D133
Alexander Baldassano
abaldassano@gc.cuny.edu
KP 316
Th 12:15-1:15 and by appt.
Ms. Raquel Chung
rchung@schools.nyc.gov
718-575-5580 (x3362)
THHS 336
6th Band and by appt.
Course Description
HTH 101-102. Freshman Humanities Colloquium. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Selected readings from the classic
texts of the Western Tradition, from the Bible and the Greeks to the present. The course emphasizes
critical reading and writing and student-led discussion. This course is part of the Honors in the
Humanities Program at Queens College.
Learning Objectives
In this course, students will:
 practice close reading and critical interpretation of works with divergent historical,
geographic, and cultural contexts to illuminate how texts address social, political and cultural
concerns
 evaluate how texts of different genres establish arguments, present evidence, and employ
rhetorical strategies
 engage in collaborative exchange and intellectual inquiry through student-facilitated
discussion and written expression
 utilize the writing process (including prewriting, brainstorming, planning, outlining, drafting,
revising and editing) to develop academic analyses with complex ideas, coherent
organization, and relevant evidence.
Required Texts & Resources:
 Texts available via the CPP office:
 Sophocles Oedipus Rex;
 Plato “The Apology;”
 Hebrew testament – selections
 Gospel of Matthew;
 Christine de Pizan The Book of the City of Ladies - selections
 Machiavelli The Prince;
 Shakespeare Othello
 Course site on Blackboard (Bb): announcements, readings, and assignment submission.
Academic Integrity: Policy for Academic Integrity
In any one semester, the first occurrence of plagiarism in a journal will result in a zero for that
journal. The first occurrence of plagiarism in a paper will result in a zero for the paper averaged into
the Final Grade. The second occurrence of plagiarism in either a journal or a paper will result in an
automatic F for that semester’s QC Final Grade. Plagiarized items will not be accepted for
revision. Students may also be reported to the CPP office and THHS Assistant Principal for
Humanities for any further action deemed appropriate, including notation on a student’s permanent
record. Link to Queens College policy:
www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/la/Academic_Integrity_Policy.pdf
Requirements and Final Grade Determination:
Participation
Conference
Facilitation
Journals
Essay 1
Essay 2
Essay 3
Final In-Class Essay
20%
3%
10%
15%
12%
14%
16%
10%
Dates and Assignments:
Tuesday / Thursday
1
Thu Aug 28 -- Class
Procedures/Requirements (for QC &
HS)
Analysis versus Summary “miniworkshop”
Facilitation Sign-Up Sheet available
on Google Docs/Drive
2
Tue Sep 2 -- Oedipus Rex (through
Ode II)
Journal #1
3
Thu Sep 4 -- Oedipus Rex (Complete
Play)
In-Class #2
4
Tue Sep 9 -- Oedipus Rex
5
Thu Sep 11-- Oedipus Rex
6
Tue Sep 16 -- Writing Workshop
Essay #1 Outline with thesis due
7
Thu Sep 18 -- Plato “The Apology”
In-Class #3
Tue Sep 23 FRIDAY schedule
Thu Sep 25 No Classes
8
Tue Sep 30 -- Plato “The Apology”
REMINDER: PLATO LECTURE –
6th BAND @ THHS Auditorium
(10/6)
9
Thu Oct 2 – Gen. 1- 11
Essay #1 (1st Draft due)
10
Tue Oct 7 -- Exodus 1-14
Journal #4
11
Thu Oct 9 -- The Book of Job 1-5,
40-2
Journal #5
12
Tue Oct 14-- Book of Esther
Journal #6
13
Thu Oct 16 – Gospel of Matthew (116)
Essay #1 (Final Draft due)
14
Tue Oct 21-- Gospel of Matthew (1728)
In-Class #7
REMINDER: BIBLE LECTURE -6th BAND @ THHS Auditorium
(10/22)
15
Thu Oct 23*-- 1 Corinthians
Journal #8
16
Tue Oct 28 -- The Book of the City of
Ladies (Excerpts)
Essay #2 Outline with thesis due
17
Thu Oct 30 -- The Book of the City of
Ladies (Excerpts)
Journal #10
18
Tue Nov 4 -- The Book of the City of
Ladies (Excerpts)
In-Class #11
19
Thu Nov 6 – The Prince (Dedication
& Chapters 1-12)
In-Class #12
20
Tue Nov 11 – The Prince (Chapters
13-26)
Essay #2 Draft due
REMINDER: CHRISTINE DE
PIZAN LECTURE -- 6th BAND @
THHS Auditorium (11/17)
21
Thu Nov 13 – The Prince
Journal #13
22
Tue Nov 18 – Othello (Act I)
23
Thu Nov 20 – Othello (Act II)
In-Class #14
24
Tue Nov 25 – Othello (Act III)
Essay #2 -- Final Draft due
Thu Nov 27 Thanksgiving Break
25
Tue Dec 2 – Othello (Act IV)
Essay #3 – Topic Proposal
REMINDER: OTHELLO LECTURE
-- 6th BAND @ THHS Auditorium
26
Thu Dec 4* -- Othello (Act V)
Journal #15
27
Tue Dec 9 -- Othello
28
Thu Dec 11 – Othello
Essay #3 – Final Draft due
Final TBD

Expectations for Participation
This is a discussion-based class, and so students should be prepared to speak at least once a class.
However, you should also keep in mind that participation grades are based not solely on quantity, but on
quality. For example, raising your hand and saying, “It was confusing, I didn’t get it” doesn’t count as
participation! Instead, students must be prepared to ask critical questions (not simply the “who-
what-when” factual questions, but the “how” and “why” critical questions) and discuss their
ideas about the readings and written assignments. Annotating the texts while reading is a good
way to prepare for class discussions.
I encourage open discussion, but “open” does not mean boundless. Derogatory comments
and discourse including, but not limited to, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, etc., will
not be tolerated.

Expectations for Facilitation
The sign-up sheet for discussion facilitation is available via Google Drive. You are expected to
facilitate discussion twice per semester. When it is your turn to facilitate discussion, you will be expected
to e-mail your questions to the instructors no later than 5 PM the previous evening. You should be
drafting questions capable of generating discussions, not questions that can be answered with a yes or no
or otherwise simple sentence. You will be graded according to the Queens College Departmental rubric.
 Expectations for Conference
You must conference at least once this semester, and you are encouraged to conference
with the instructor who will be grading your paper before you submit the final copy, or
conference to discuss how a paper could be improved. You can also conference to further discuss
a text or topic that You still had questions about or to make up a class if you missed a session.

Expectations for Journals
Your journals will consist of fifteen at-home and in-class entries. They should be about a page to
a page-and-a-half long (typed, double-spaced, 12 pt. font).
Journals are graded using the check, check minus, zero/no credit system. Plot summary
and/or lack of citations earn no credit. The journals should display critical thinking, one or two
thought provoking questions that you should try to answer in your responses. Late journals only
get ½ credit.

Expectations for Essays
Grading rubric attached. Please be sure to submit any and all essay topics to the AP of
Humanities at the High School and to the CPP office (or tell us if they are individual-student generated).
Attendance Policy:
Lateness and excessive absence will not be tolerated. Two late attendances (up to 10 minutes) will count
as an absence while lateness in excess of 10 minutes is equivalent to an absence. While there are, of
course, extenuating circumstances, more than two absences likely will result in a lower participation
grade. More than four absences likely will result in failure of the course. Please keep in mind that you are
also responsible for THHS’s lateness and attendance policies, which may differ from QC’s.