American Culture and Society

Semester Three Fall 2017

Contact Information:

Instructor: Nicole Castillo

Email: castilloenglishportal@gmail.com
Office: N. 20
Office Hours: Wednesday 12:00PM-2:00PM
Classroom Website: castilloenglishportal.weebly.com; facebook.com/TetouanEnglish

Course Description and Overview:

This course aims to familiarize students with American culture and society, with a focus on
contemporary American values, traditions, geography, politics, economics, education, and social
life. We will also examine the historical background necessary to contextualize these elements
and study them through a cross-cultural lens. The course will also help students to develop core
language competencies (reading, writing, listening, and speaking).

Outline of Course Topics:

Week 2: Foundations of the US Political System

Week 3: US Geography and Land Acquisitions
Week 4: Immigration, the Melting Pot, and the American Dream
Week 5: Social Movements in US History
Week 6: Popular Culture and the Mass Media
Week 7: American Literary and Artistic Movements
Week 8: US Holidays and Celebrations
Week 9: The American Education System
Week 10: Language and American English Dialects
Week 11: US as a Superpower and its Impact on a Global World
Week 12: Contemporary US Politics

Course Materials:

Handouts given in class

Materials posted on the class website
Class Expectations:

Students are expected to be prepared for and to attend each class meeting. Attendance is
mandatory and will factor into final grades.

Students will bring a notebook, a pen and pencil, an eraser, a folder to keep handouts, and a
dictionary to each class meeting. If you dont like ripping pages out of your notebook, you may
want to buy some scrap paper for in-class assignments that I will collect.

Both the instructor and students will communicate ONLY in English. Speaking a foreign
language is challenging and requires constant practice. Dont worry if you cannot formulate your
thoughts completely or if you do not know a word; I will help you to carry your thoughts.

Students will respect the instructor and one another.

Students will participate in class by taking notes, contributing to activities, and sharing their
ideas.

No Cellphones. Students will keep their cell phones in their bags during class unless the
instructor approves their use. Using a cell phone during class is disrespectful and disrupts the
learning process for both you and your peers. If I see you use it, I will ask you to leave the
classroom.

No Plagiarism. Students will submit only their own work; plagiarism will not be tolerated, and
any plagiarized assignment will receive a score of zero. Plagiarism is defined as the
representation of someone elses words, ideas, or works as ones own without authorization.
Paraphrasing, summarizing, and using direct quotations all require the citation of the original
source. We will discuss plagiarism in class. Check the class website for information on citations
and avoiding plagiarism. If you are not sure what constitutes plagiarism or how to cite a specific
source, please send me an email or come to my office hours.

Students are responsible for regularly checking the classroom website to see what assignments
need to be completed. If you have difficulty accessing a computer, please let me know. I will
respond to emails within two business days.

Grading:
Final Exam - 50%
1 Page Essay - 20%
In-Class Assignments - 20%
Attendance- 10%

Essay:

Each student will write a 1 page, 250-300 word essay discussing a single aspect of American
culture. This assignment will allow you to either explore a topic we did not cover in class, study
one that we learned about in greater detail in a different way, or respond to a prompt. This
essay will be an assignment that grows and develops over the course of the semester, and one
that emphasizes writing as a process. I will announce more details about the essay in the
coming weeks.