Week 15: Wrapping up

May 3

Congrats! You made it through to the end of the semester, and about 2 millennia of Japanese history! This week we have a grand retrospective to ensure you carry with you the big themes, topics and insights, for longer than 3 days after the semester ends 😉

Table of Contents

Slides

Readings and class details

Review the textbooks

For anything you need a quick refresher on, pick and mix:

Wednesday

Ettinger 212, 11am

  • Prepare for class by taking appr. 60-90mins to review the course content we covered (the slides will be useful). Materials from the beginning in particular may have slipped your mind. Take note on the following:
    • “I clearly remember learning this, this really stands out”
    • “OMG I completely forgot we covered this” or “Did we really see this? I have no recollection.”
    • Events, people, art, literature, … that could/should go on a timeline (hint: you know I like timeline exercises and we have a reasonable amount of blackboard space in that room)
    • Anything that you find remarkable, strange, interesting, even after you learned about it.
  • Be sure to bring about 1 side of letter-size paper of notes (2 if you write large)

WHY? Nothing like a review (without quiz) to have you realize how much ground we covered, and how much important stuff may already have slipped your mind, and what you’d like to rescue from oblivion!

Friday

No class: performance day! –> Watch your fellow students perform in the afternoon!

Assignments

1. Blog post (content week 14)

5 points, due Mon May 1, 11:59PM

Write a blog post exploring themes or ideas based on your reading. You do not need to have all the answers. In fact, learning to ask good analytical or research questions is a skill you can develop during the semester. Remember the description of the assignment from the syllabus.

  • Length: approx. 400 words. excl. list of materials consulted.
  • Add the list of materials consulted at the end of the post, in Chicago notes and bibliography style.
    • TOP TIP: Just copy the bibliography information from the Reading list on this webpage, do not add the descriptive notes I provide for your information.
  • Add the words “Week 14” in the title.
    • Please use this exact phrase, so your post will show up in the blog stream.
  • Include a relevant image, and add a caption with the source/credit, and an Alt text description
  • Post on your website, and add to the category hst267.

When you’re done, read this declaration carefully and then fill out the Canvas quiz to collect your points.

Declaration
– I wrote a post of approximately 400 words in response to the readings.
– I included the bibliographic references for the materials I used for my post.
– I indicated which Exploration Pack I chose [if applicable].
– I included an image, and I provided a caption and credit (source), and an Alt text description for the image.
– I use the words Week 14 in the title, and added the post to category hst267

2. Feedback with Hypothes.is

3 points, due May 3, 11:59pm

Below you find links to three blog posts from your fellow students. If one of the websites is your own, or it is twice the same person’s, refresh the page, and you should get new sites. Any of the posts that appear here are fair game for commenting, even if they are about earlier weeks: those posts came in after the first deadline.

  • Post 1:
  • Post 2:
  • Post 3:

Leave feedback, questions, thoughts, insights about the contents of the posts of your fellow students using Hypothes.is group HST267. You can ask for clarifications, point out similarities and differences with the material you covered, or with your interpretation. This should encourage you to dive a bit deeper in the materials, or visit those you did not read at first.

Use tags in Hypothes.is: question: If you have a question; answered: if you gave an answer to a question; info: if you provide more information, looking up additional facts, drawing on knowledge from other classes; and other tags you can think of. This will help us to navigate more quickly to the questions that still need answering.

Use the “Architect’s Model” of giving feedback, and engage with concrete issues. Go beyond “Yeah, I agree,” “I like” or “I think the same”, and instead explain why you have that reaction, or if you disagree, you can try to persuade the original poster of your idea or interpretation.

Remember that Hypothes.is allows for hyperlinks, e.g. to materials that support your argument, or you can include pictures (memes! [yes, there she is again]), videos etc. that help the original poster to learn more.

When you’re done, read this declaration carefully, and then fill out the Canvas quiz to collect your points.

Declaration
– I commented on three fellow students’ weekly blog post on Week 14 materials, using the Hypothes.is group HST267.
– I made sure to leave substantial comments that help the writer to improve the post, or to identify their strengths.
– I left comments that I would like to receive myself: thoughtful, helpful, kind, but also pointing out errors so they can be fixed.

3. Third reflection

Due on May 5, 11:59PM, 8 points

See all the details on the dedicated webpage (to keep this page free from clutter)

4. Show and Tell 5

Due on Tue May 9, 11:59PM, 20 points

Find all the details on the dedicated webpage, incl. the link to the Canvas assignment.

This is the last of the assignments, and concludes the course!

Extra Credit tasks

EC15-1: Introduce an image

3 points, due by Sunday May 7, 11.59pm

All the details on this webpage, incl. a link to declaration quiz.

EC15-2: Extra commenting

2 points, due by Sunday May 7, 11.59pm

Do you like reading your colleagues’ work? Do you like helping them out by identifying ways to make their posts better? Here’s some good news! You can earn extra credit by doing extra commenting! This assignment will be available regularly throughout the semester.

  • Go to the Blog Stream of the Class
  • Pick a post that piques your curiosity and that you have not yet commented on
  • Use Hypothes.is group HST137, and leave feedback as we practiced with the Architects’s model
  • Pick 2 other posts: they can come from other students in the blog stream, or if you like the writer, you can stay with them and comment more.
  • The only conditions are
    • that you do not comment on blog posts you already commented on before, as part of your regular weekly “sourdough starter” tasks.
    • that the post is actually written for HST267, and not some other class. Check the category, and the content :upside down smiley:
  • Add the tag extra to the comment (this helps me to keep track of how many people use this option.)

When you’re done, please read this declaration carefully and then collect your points on Canvas with the Declaration Quiz.

Declaration
I selected three blogs I have not yet commented on before, from our class’s blog stream, and I used the Hypothes.is group HST267.
I made sure to leave substantial comments that help the writer to improve the post, or to identify their strengths.
I added the tag extra to my Hypothes.is comments.
I left comments that I would like to receive myself: thoughtful, helpful, kind, but also pointing out errors so they can be fixed.

Where to get assistance?

  • Tea Room on in person or on Discord:
    • open anytime for you
    • I will be hosting Tue 2PM-3PM; Wed. 1-2PM, or at other times by appointment via Google Calendar (usually a 15-20min appointment is enough). You can also find me in my office during Tea Room times.
    • Private room for confidential chat available on request.
  • Discord Text Channel #hst267
  • DLAs: Digital Learning Assistants: check the schedule!
  • Writing Center: Sunday-Wednesday: 3:30 – 5:30 pm and 7-11 pm; Thursday: 3:30 – 5:30 pm and 7-9 pm
  • Trexler Library Course Subject Guide: our own dedicated subject guide for the course 
  • Safety on/around campus: report an incident