Graded Assignments

1. Thematic essays. These papers ask you to perform a "close reading" of class films from a geographic perspective. Details will be posted to the class website as indicated on the course calendar. Collectively these essays are worth forty (40) points toward your grade. The first is worth ten (10) and the second and third are each worth fifteen (15) points. There will be an opportunity to rewrite one of the first two essays.
2. Film notes. You will take notes on each film we watch in class, including notes in preparation for each group of films (Linklater, Payne, New York), and summary notes at the end of each cluster. This assignment is explained in detail on this page. This assignment is worth fifteen (15) points towards your grade in the class.
3. 5/45/85. This assignment asks you to analyze three arbitrary freezeframes selected from the films we watch. You will select three films to write on. This assignment is explained in more detail on this page, and is worth twenty-five (25) points towards your grade in the class.
4. Blogging. I have established a weblog for the class called "FilmTalk". Each week between class meetings you will participate in discussions about class films, discussions and readings. Details are provided on this page. This assignment is worth fifteen (15) points toward your grade. There is also an opportunity to earn extra credit on this assignment.
5. Learning assessments. Each week I will administer at least one assessment of student learning. These are tools that help me to gauge what students are getting out of class meetings and materials. They will be brief and are not quizzes or tests. They maybe conducted at the beginning or end of class. Scoring will be based mostly on sincerity of effort. Each week's assessments, regardless of how many there are, are worth half (0.5) of a point each, for a total of five (5). In a week when there is no assessment, I will "comp" the half point to everyone in attendance that day.

   Generally, learning assessments cannot be made up. However, if circumstances require you to miss more than two (2) in a row, I recommend that you come to talk to me about the impact that missing these assignments will have on your grade for the term.

Final grades will be assessed on a standard 100 point scale (93+ is an A; 90-92 is an A-; 87-89 is a B+; 83-86 is a B; 80-82 is a B-; 77-79 is a C+; 73-76 is a C; 70-72 is a C-; 67-69 is a D+; 63-66 is a D; 60-62 is a D-. Lower than 60 is an F).