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SPAN 3312

Latin American Civilization


Diversity and Heterogeneity: Race, Gender and National Activism

Profesora: Dr. Dania Abreu-Torres, NH 040, dabreuto@trinity.edu


Horas de oficina:
Monday and Wednesday, 10:00-11:00; Friday, 1:30-2:30; or by appointment.
COURSE MATERIALS: Electronic Course Packet (on T-learn); Syllabus
*** In the classroom, electronic access to the material is allowed (laptops,
E-readers, I-pads, or others) only with the professor approval. Any evidence of
Facebook, Email, or any other out of class websites navigation will terminate the
students electronic classroom privileges. ***

COURSE OBJECTIVES and METHODOLOGY

This course will introduce students to a variety of topics related to the historical, political,
economic, social and cultural development of Latin America. Diversity inside and throughout the
different countries of the region will be constantly highlighted. Readings, visual materials and
reflections will expose the students to multiple approaches on the origin, development and
current circumstances of what is to be a Latin American (Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican,
Nicaraguan) and what is a Latino. Students will learn that to be Hispanic is more than an
ethnic label and that diversity of beliefs, background, personal and national histories are in
constant discussion and revision inside and outside the Latin American countries.
This course will provide the students with a panoramic picture (unfortunately, limited
and incomplete) of the dynamics of race, gender and class issues in Latin American civilization
and how these interactions affect contemporary developments. The class is expected to be
highly interactive, with the students coming prepare to think, analyze critically and discuss the
material with the professor. Assignments have been prepared to achieve this discussion inside
and outside the classroom. Be aware that this is not a history course, but one that will
focus on an interdisciplinary approach to understand the civilization and cultural
development in Latin America.

The main objectives of this course will be:

To inform the students on the basic history and nation building of the Latin American
countries and how these developments helped to create a diverse and multicultural
region.
To expose the students to different and diverse communities inside Latin America
(Afrolatinos, Indigenous communities, women, LGBT and US Latinos) in order to
deconstruct the idea of the Hispanic or lo latinoamericano.
For the students to analyze and critically study the Latin American social diversity from
their own experiences and to achieve their own conclusions on the relationship between
Latin America and the United States.

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For the students to apply their Spanish vocabulary and acquire a higher standard
vocabulary (vocabulario culto o acadmico) that will expand their discussion skills.

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EVALUACIN
Overview
Discussion and Reading Diary: 3 x 5% =15%
Cultural Activities reflections: 2 x 3% = 6%
At home exams: 2 x 7% = 14%
Oral presentation: 9%
Leading Discussion Group (Semester Project): (Divided in different parts) 38%
Attendance, Participation and Preparation: 8% + 5 % + 5%= 18%
TOTAL: 100%
Make-up policies: If a student misses any deadline or assignment, there is no make up for it
UNLESS: a medical emergency or a university mandatory activity (athletic event, organizations
events debate team, choir, or others- or course field trips). The student must provide evidence
(doctors note, letter from professor, etc) of his/her absence in order to receive a make-up of
her/his assignment.
1. Discussion and Reading Diary (3 check-points, 3x5%=15): The objective of this
assignment is to be a space for the students to keep track of their reading experience and
reflect on their reading and research practices. This diary will be in writing/type format and
will have three main checking points along the semester (Refer to calendar in order to
know when are the due dates), but will also serve as pop quizzes (ten in total). It
is expected for the students to bring a print out of the diary everyday in order to be
prepare for the class or if asked to turn in by the professor on that day. If the students
does not have the print out, he/she will lose the points of that day (under Preparation).
The student will prepare a form posted on T-learn under Discussion and reading diary
and will vary if the material of the day is a chapter book, journal article or a video. The
professor may post another type of form in order to achieve a better discussion in the
classroom, which will be announced in class and by email. The most common diary form
will follow these guidelines:
a. Chapter book/Journal article: The basic guideline format will follow these
questions: What is the thesis/argument of the chapter/article? What are two main
points that support the thesis/argument? What is the conclusion of the
chapter/article? What is your opinion of the information/argument presented on this
chapter/article? How the chapter/article portray diversity in Latin America?
b. Video: The basic guideline format will follow these questions: What is the main
argument? If applicable, how the main characters/participants relate to the main
argument? What/Whom perspective does the video rely on? How this impacts the
main argument? What is your opinion of the argument presented on the video? How
the video portray diversity in Latin America?
The reflections must be one (1) page long, single page, font Times New Roman, 11-12
pts. Keep your reflections in a folder (which will be your diary). When turning in on
the checking points, you must turn in this folder with your name on it.
Each checking point Diary is 3% for a 15% total; for pop quizzes, it will be
10 x .5% for 5% total.

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2. Cultural Activities Reflections (2x3%= 6%): Along the semester, many activities occur
at Trinity and in the San Antonio community. You must attend to two (2) cultural activities
related to the topics of our class. The professor will announce several activities that you
can attend to fulfill this requirement or you can attend to any youve learned on your own
(TPR community calendar is a great resource to find these activities around San Antonio or
nearby areas.)
After attending each cultural event, you must write a reflection considering these
questions: How the event was related to our class topics? What two main points I learned
from this event? How can it be apply to our class discussion? These reflections are
more than a summary of the presentation. Each reflection will be 200-250 words
long (about half page), double space, 11-12 Cambri or Times New Roman, 1
page margins. All the reflections must be turned in with the third Reading Diary check
point. No reflections will be accepted after this date. Grading criteria for this
assignment is attached to the syllabus.
3. At home exams (2x7% = 14%): On the dates on the calendar, the professor will submit
an exam via T-learn. These exams will evaluate the students comprehension of the
readings and classroom discussions. These exams will be structured around 2 short
answer questions (10pts) and one essay question (30pts), with a total of 50pts.
After the posting date, the student will have around 7-10 days to submit their answers.
Due dates are marked on the calendar.
4. Presentacin (9%): Each student will prepare one individual oral presentation. After the
first class, the professor will post a Google Doc in which you must sign up for it. The
presentation will be in Spanish, no matter the language of the material that you will
prepare. These presentations will be use for the exams questions. Grading criteria
for these assignment is attached to the syllabus. The presentation will contain two parts:
a. Reading Presentation (Presentacin de lectura, 5%): On each class, a main reading
is assigned. Each student will have the task to present this reading to start the
discussion. On his/her presentation, the student must prepare four (4) power point
slides, no less nor more:
i.
First slide: Main idea/thesis of the reading- Briefly, in two to three
sentences, describe what is the main idea of the article. You may use a quote
from the reading or bring your own version. If using a quote, be sure to
explain why you selected it and how it offers an overview of the main points
of the reading.
ii.
Second slide: First main point- On every reading, the thesis is
explained by using different main points to develop it. Pick one of these main
points and describe the information, explain how is related to the thesis and
how it helps to develop/portray the thesis. On the slide, you just need to
provide a brief description either by bullet points or with a quote from the
article. You can also provide pictures that may help to illustrate this point.
iii.
Third slide: Second main point- Follow the previous description.
iv.
Fourth slide: Answer the question: How this reading portrays diversity
in Latin America?, and provide two (2) discussion questions for your peers to
reflect on the reading.
This part of the presentation is 7-8 minutes long. The student must provide a
handout with his/her main points and the discussion questions. Though it is only
four slides, be creative and bring any information or pictures that may help you to
be precise with the information you will provide. You must send your
presentation to the professor at least one day before your due date in

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order for her to review it. This will be part of your grade. For more details on
grading, go to the grading criteria attached to this syllabus.
b.
Newspaper Article Presentation (Presentacin de artculo de peridico, 4%): Either
before, after or during your reading presentation, you must present a newspaper article
related to the topic of the reading. This newspaper article must be recent (not more than
one (1) year old) and, if possible, in Spanish. Four points should be cover on this brief
presentation: From where is the article? What the article is about? How is relevant to
todays discussion (if apply)? Why you chose this article? The student will share a
link/copy of this article with the professor when sending the slides of the
reading presentation. The Prensa Escrita website is a great resource. Start by searching
here, instead of googling for an article. Add a slide to your main presentation with
the title of the article, the date and the answers (brief) of the previous
questions in bullet points. This part of the presentation should be 2-3 minutes.
The professor will give a model presentation in order for the students to have a clear idea
of what are her expectations.
5. Leading Discussion Groups (Grupos de discusin, different steps = 38%): The
objective of this assignment is to provide the students with a hands-on experience on
research, organization of a class and creation of a website. The main question to consider
while preparing this project is: How the social groups presented represent Latin American
diversity and how they portray their voice in the nation and the state? The answers to this
will be varied and will deeply depend on the Discussion Group objective. Five Group
Discussion topics had been organized by the professor accordingly to the courses
subtopics. The research and group organization of each should start early in the semester.
On the second week of classes, the professor will bring a survey for the students
to complete in class on which he/she will pick his/her top preferences for a Group
Discussion topic. The topics will be: Afrolatinos, Comunidades indgenas, Mujeres en
Amrica Latina, Grupos LGBT y US Latinos. After the survey is completed, the professor
will organize the groups depending of the class answers. Each group will consist of 4-5
members and will research different areas considering their topic: 1. Books and academic
articles ; 2. Social media and videos; 3. News media; 4. Websites and organizations.
After each discussion group is created, you may narrow down what issues you will
be covering on your presentation. For example, if your group has the topic considering
Afrolatinos, you can narrow it by presenting political representations and participation.
You will be graded as a group. Be sure you divide your work evenly and be
responsible. Your group grade may be affected because of lacking from one of
the members.
The preparation for the Discussion group will follow these steps:
a. Annotated bibliography (Bibliografa anotada, individual, 5 tems, overlap of
2 resources) (8%): On the due date, individually each member will provide an
annotated bibliography. This bibliography will be a panoramic view of the different
issues concerning the group's topic. A total of (at least) four (4) items must be
presented: 1-2 academic journal articles; 1 book chapter; 1 different reliable
resource (newspaper or magazine articles, websites, social media, film,
documentary...). Please, NO WIKIPEDIA. Students must follow the 7th Edition
MLA standards on its citation. Coates library provides an electronic resource on
how to prepare MLA citations: http://lib.trinity.edu/lib2/cite.php . After each citation,
you will briefly (5-6 sentences) summarize the article and will demonstrate the
relevance of the article regarding the topic. For more information on how to prepare
an annotated bibliography, visit this website:

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http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/01/. On the due date on the
calendar, you will share your document with the professor as an attachment on
an email. The bibliography will be evaluated individually.
b. Class presentation (12%): On the dates stated in the calendar, each discussion
group will present their class. Considering each members research, each group
must organize an informative class regarding the topic. Potential questions you
may address on this presentation are: How each approach (academia, media, news,
websites, organizations) portray this community? What are the challenges and
accomplishments this community have had in a particular country or in Latin
America in general? What is the status of this community? What is the future of this
community? What relevance does this community has in understanding the
different Latin American societies and cultures? Please, try to not repeat what
weve discussed in class about this topic. The objective of the presentation is
to enhance and to offer original views (not discussed in the course) to the class.
Each group has the power to organize the class as they think it will be
better (by addressing a main topic social issue, political representation, or other-, a
country, and/or similarities between different groups inside the community). Keep in
mind that every member must address an issue and have an important role on
the presentation (visibility). If the presentation is unbalance (a student speaking
more than others) it will affect your grade.
Representatives of the group MUST make an appointment with the
professor in order to discuss the presentation/class organization at least
10 days before (potential dates for each Discussion group meeting with
the professor are on the calendar). This meeting will count as 2% of your
group discussion presentation. You may use power point, prezi, or any other
presentation format.
When organizing the class, keep in mind. 1. Your audience (be clear, precise
and creative); 2. You must interact with your classmates in different ways (lecture,
questions, games, and/or contests) in order to keep the information flowing; 3.
Consider this presentation as the conclusion of the topic and engage/enhance on
other discussions regarding the topic that were not addressed in the class; 4.
Prepare a handout that will help your classmates to keep track of your presentation.
Most of all, BE CREATIVE. Look on previous webpages designed by other classes and
look for those issues that were left unclear, need more research or were not
addressed at all. You may be able to find the links to these web-pages on T-learn.
An ideal presentation may have this planning: 1. Information (10-15 minutes);
2. Comprehensive questions (either embedded on the information presentation or at
the end, 5-8 minutes)); 3. Class activity and/or discussion (15-20 minutes); 4. Final
questions from peers (5 minutes). DONT FORGET, this is an ORAL
presentation. You may have cue cards to help you follow your thoughts, but you
CANNOT READ everything. Reading only will not engage your peers with the
discussion and will not help your grade.
At the end of each Discussion group class, the professor will ask
some students to evaluate it using the grading criteria on the syllabus.
The professor will take into account their input when grading the
presentation. These classes will be considered for the questions for the
second exam. This presentation will be evaluated as a group.
c. Discussion Group Webpage (share with all Trinity)(7%): From your presentation,
discussion and comments from the professor and peers, the group will reorganize
the information addressed and will present it on a website format. You may use the
same topic division you did for the presentation or take a different approach. A new

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aspect not presented or not fully addressed on your class MUST be
included. The objective of this webpage is to provide to the public introductory
information regarding the diverse communities in Latin America and a condense
framework on each community that connects social media, news, and other
organizations on a central resource. While preparing, bear in mind this webpage will
be share with the Trinity community. This means, the information provided must be
clear, coherent with the Discussion group class, have an attractive format and be a
collaborative process. Specific instructions on how to create a webpage on Google
sites will be provided on T-learn. If you know how to create a website in other
formats, you can also use it. I suggest these webpages to gather some ideas on
construction and balance: Comunidades indgenas (using Weebly):
http://comunidadesindigenas.weebly.com/; Latino LGBT (using Google sites):
https://sites.google.com/a/trinity.edu/latinolgbt/; US Latinos (using Wix):
http://mreynold73.wix.com/uslatinos. Do not repeat or copy any information of
these webpages. The webpage will be evaluated as a group.
d. Webpage draft (2%): On the date stated on calendar, each group will share a draft
of their website with the professor. The objective is for me to comment on your
webpage on how to improve it and if you've had any technical problems. This will
help the students to solve any problems and correct before the final product is
turned in. This webpage draft will be evaluated as a group.
e. Trabajo escrito (9%): As a final report on the Group Discussion, each member will
write a final reflection on the process of organizing the class, the webpage creation
and their own research. This final report will be 5-6 pages long, double space, 11-12
Calibri or Times New Roman and will contain: a. A brief summary on the process of
organizing the class presentation; b. a brief description of your collaboration with
your group members; c. A brief reaction of your performance after the Group
Discussion; d. A reflection on the creation of the website; e. how your research
impacted the performance of your group; f. How the community you presented
defend/makes relevant the diversity discussion in Latin America?; g. How this
research and creative process had changed your ideas of lo latinoamericano?. Use
2-3 bibliographical references and add the bibliography at the end of your paper
(follow MLA citation standards). Due date is on the calendar and should be
turned in by email. OJO: If there is any problem in your group, please,
discuss it with the professor before turning in your trabajo escrito. This
work will be evaluated individually.
6. Asistencia, preparacin y participacin (18%): Attendace is very important to keep
track of the discussion. Each student will have up to 3 free absences. More than that,
1pt will be deducted from your final grade. Active participation is expected with both
the professor and the students peers. Each student must come prepare with her/his
readings, potential questions, and/or points of discussions he/she wants to address
regarding the topic. Participation will be evaluated with each Reading diary check point.
Go to the grading criteria added to the syllabus for more information. Preparation will be
evaluated by collecting a copy of the Discussion and Reading diary of that day. There will
be a total of ten (10) collections.

This course will follow the policies under the Academic Integrity Policies and
the Academic Honor Code:
All students are covered by a policy that prohibits dishonesty in academic work. Under the Honor Code, a
faculty member will (or a student may) report an alleged violation to the Academic Honor Council. It is the
task of the Council to investigate, adjudicate, and assign a punishment within certain guidelines if a

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violation has been verified. Students who are under the Honor Code are required to pledge all
written work that is submitted for a grade: On my honor, I have neither given nor received
any unauthorized assistance on this work and their signature. The pledge may be
abbreviated pledged with a signature.
For more information, go to:

http://www.trinity.edu/departments/academic_affairs/hb/instrpol/acadintg.htm#TOP
http://www.trinity.edu/departments/academic_affairs/hb/instrpol/honorcode.htm

CALENDARIO

(This calendar is subject to change depending on the progress of the class discussion.)

Semana 1: Introduccin
Mircoles, 27 de agosto: Introduccin al curso. Lecturas suplementarias: Pew Hispanic
Center: Latino Voters in the 2012 Elections; Facts for Features: Hispanic
Heritage Month 2012; Latinos May Get Own Race Category on Census
Form.
Viernes, 29 de agosto: Discusin de conceptos centrales: Diversidad, heterogeneidad,
mestizaje
Lectura: Jos Mart, Nuestra Amrica.
Semana 2: Civilizaciones precolombinas
Lunes, 1 de septiembre: Labor Day Feriado No hay clase
Mircoles, 3 de septiembre: Lectura: Captulo 1, Las primeras civilizaciones en la
Amrica precolombina. Hoja de ruta; Seleccin de El Cdice Mendoza;
Lectura:Glifos Prehispnicos: El lenguaje de las imgenes.
Viernes, 5 de septiembre: No hay clases- Faculty Retreat
Semana 3: Descubrimiento, conquista y colonizacin
Lunes, 8 de septiembre: Lectura: Captulo 2, De los imperios indgenas a los virreinatos de la
conquista y la colonizacin; Lectura suplementaria: Seleccin del Diario de Coln,
Jueves 11 de Otubre, Sbado 13 de Otubre.
Mircoles, 10 de septiembre: Lectura: Primera parte Motecuzoma Xocoyotl, Hernn Corts, and
Bernal Daz del Castillo: The Construction of an Arrest. Francis J. Brooks. Pgs. 149165.
Viernes, 12 de septiembre: Lectura: Continuacin Motecuzoma..., Pgs. 165-final. Lectura
suplementaria: Selecciones de las Cartas y Relaciones de Hernn Corts.
Semana 4: Sociedad colonial, sociedad plantacional
Lunes, 15 de septiembre: Lectura: De la plantacin a la Plantacin de Antonio Bentez Rojo.
Pgs. 1-31.

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Mircoles, 17 de septiembre: Lectura: Captulo 4, Ownership of Mineral Riches and the Spanish
Need for Labor de American Pentimento por Patricia Seed. Lectura suplementaria:
Captulo 5, Tribute and Social Humiliation: The Cost of Preserving Native
Farmlands.
Viernes, 19 de septiembre: Seleccin de Comentarios reales de los incas de El Inca Garcilaso de
la Vega (De pdf 1-7); Seleccin de Autobiografa de un esclavo de Francisco
Manzano (De pdf 1-8).
1st Reading and Research Diary Checkpoint.
Semana 5: Independencia, revolucin y sus consecuencias
Lunes, 22 de septiembre: Lectura, Captulo 3, De la independencia al presente. (De pdf pgs. 18; 17-20)
Mircoles, 24 de septiembre: Lectura: Continuacin de Cap. 3 (del pdf pgs. 21-33).
Viernes, 26 de septiembre: Pelcula: No, Dir. Pablo Larran; Lectura: One Prism on the Undoing of
Pinochet: Oscar Nominated No Stirring Debate in Chile. The NY Times.
Semana 6: Afrolatinos: Quebrando la idea del mestizaje

Lunes, 29 de septiembre: Lectura: Jennings, LaVinia. Introduction: The Race for


Whiteness in the Twentieth Century. de At Home and Abroad: Historicizing
Twentieth Century Whiteness in Literature and Performance.
Due date Bibliografa Anotada
Mircoles, 1 de octubre: Lectura: Institutions, inculcation, and black racial identity:
pigmentocracy vs. the rule of hypodescent de Richard T. Middleton.
Viernes, 3 de octubre: Lectura: The Black Puerto Rican Woman in Contemporary
American Society de Angela Jorge en The Afro-Latin@ Reader.
EXAMEN #1- Posted on T-learn
Semana 7: AfrolatinAs y Performance (#Afrolatinas)
Lunes, 6 de octubre: Lectura: Latinegras: Desired Women Undesirable Mothers,
Daughters, Sisters, and Wives en The Afro-Latin@ Reader.
Grupo de discusin #1- Meeting with professor
Mircoles, 8 de octubre: Seleccin de la poesa de Mariposa (Mara Teresa Fernndez);
Vdeos de declamacin (performance) de Mariposa. Ver: Charla de Mariposa
(Trini TV)
Viernes, 10 de octubre: Lectura: Rivero, Yeidy M. Seleccin de Cap. 2: Bringing the Soul:
Afros, Black Empowerment, and the Resurgent Popularity of Blackface.
Tuning Out Blackness: Race and Nation in the History of Puerto Rican
Television.
EXAMEN #1- Due date

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Semana 8: Comunidades indgenas: Al margen y al centro del neoliberalismo
Lunes, 13 de octubre: Lectura: Clase de Grupo de Discusin #1: Afrolatinos
Mircoles, 15 de octubre: Artculo: Entre la guerra de castas y la ladinizacin: La imagen
del indgena en la Centroamrica liberal de David Daz Arias.
Viernes, 17 de octubre: FALL BREAK
Semana 9: Comunidades indgenas: La tierra, la representacin poltica y la
izquierda
Lunes, 20 de octubre: El Nuevo mapa poltico de Amrica Latina en Hoja de Ruta. Pgs.
157-165.
Grupo de discusin #2- Meeting with professor
Mircoles, 22 de octubre: Existe una reforma agraria en la Bolivia del Movimiento al
Socialismo? de Bruno Fornillo. Vdeo: Bolivia: Partners not Masters
Viernes, 24 de octubre: El desarrollo de la comunidad como fin ltimo de la empresa en
Latinoamrica de Ricardo Murcio Rodrguez y Miguel ngel Marcos-Garca.
Vdeo: "Sun and Shadows: The Downside of Tourism in Central America.
Semana 10: Gnero y sexualidad en Amrica Latina: Mujeres en la historia
latinoamericana
Lunes, 27 de octubre: Clase de Grupo de discusin #2: Comunidades indgenas
Mircoles, 29 de octubre: Captulo 3, La mujer en la escena latinoamericana: De las
trincheras por la independencia al palacio presidencial en Hoja de ruta.
2nd Reading and Research Diary Checkpoint
Viernes, 31 de octubre: Captulo 3, Life as a Moral Drama en Luisa Capetillo: Pioneer
Puerto Rican Feminist.
Semana 11: Gnero y sexualidad en Amrica Latina: Feminismos y sus efectos
Lunes, 3 de noviembre: Lectura: Mujeres indgenas constructoras de regin: Desde
Amrica Latina hasta Abya Yala de Almudena Cabezas Gonzlez. Lectura
suplementaria: Estatutos del ltimo Congreso de Mujeres de Abya Yala
Grupo de discusin #3- Meeting with professor
Mircoles, 5 de noviembre: Pelcula: Seorita Extraviada de Lourdes Portillo. Lectura:
Lourdes Portillos Seorita Extraviada: The Poetics and Politics of Femicide.
Viernes, 7 de noviembre: Lectura: The Mestizo Refuses to Confess: Masculinity from the
Standpoint of a Latin American Man in Toronto. En Troubles Masculinities:
Reimagining Urban Men.

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Semana 12: Gnero y sexualidad en Amrica Latina: LGBT en Amrica Latina
Lunes, 10 de noviembre: Clase de Grupo de discusin #3- Gnero y sexualidad en
Amrica Latina, Feminismos
Mircoles, 12 de noviembre: Locas, Respect, and Masculinity: Gender Conformity in
Migrant Puerto Rican Gay Masculinities. De Marysol Asencio
Viernes, 14 de noviembre: Ver: Tal como somos. Lectura: La guerra declarada contra
el nio afeminado
de Giancarlo Cornejo.
Semana 13: Construyendo la comunidad LGBT
Lunes, 17 de noviembre: Lectura: Constructing The Same Rights with the Same
Names: The Impact of Spanish Norm Diffusion on Marriage Equality in
Argentina de Elisabeth Jay Friedman, Pgs. 29-40.
Grupo de discusin #4- Meeting with professor
Mircoles, 19 de noviembre: Lectura: Continuacin de Constructing The Same Rights
With the Same Names: The Impact of Spanish Norm Diffusion on Marriage
Equality in Argentina de Elisabeth Jay Friedman, Pgs. 40-53. Vdeo
suplementario: Two to Tango: Gay Argentina.
Viernes, 21 de noviembre: Pelcula Brincando el charco: Portrait of a Puerto Rican, Dir.
Frances Negrn Muntaner. Lectura: When I Was a Puerto Rican Lesbian:
Meditations on Brincando el Charco: Portrait of a Puerto Rican.
Semana 14: US Latinos Intro
Lunes, 24 de noviembre: Lectura: Clase de Grupo de discusin #4, Gnero y
sexualidad en Amrica Latina, Grupos LGBT
EXAMEN #2- Posted on T-learn
Mircoles, 26 de noviembre: THANKSGIVING BREAK
Viernes, 28 de noviembre: THANKSGIVING BREAK
Semana 15: El clash cultural del hyphen y sus consecuencias
Lunes, 1 de diciembre: Lectura: The Facts of Life on the Hyphen de Gustavo Prez
Firmat; Life in the Hyphen de Ilan Stavans.
Grupo de discusin #5- Meeting with professor
Mircoles, 3 de diciembre: Building Bridges: Latinas and Latinos at the Crossroads de
Berta Esperanza Hernndez-Truyol.
EXAMEN #2- Due date
3rd Research and Reading Diary Checkpoint

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Viernes, 5 de diciembre: Vdeos: CNN Latino in America: The Garcas, Seleccin.
Semana 16: Conclusiones
Lunes, 8 de diciembre: Clase de grupo de discusin #5, US Latinos
10-11 de diciembre, READING DAYS
Viernes, 12 de diciembre: Entregar Webpage draft

Mircoles, 17 de diciembre- Due date Discussion Group Webpages &


Trabajo escrito

Grading Criterias
Cultural Activities Reflections- Grading Criteria
1. The reflection presents a coherent and thoughtful process regarding the
information provided by the guest speaker: ______ / 6
2. The student is able to relate the information provided by the guest speaker to the
discussion in the classroom: ______ / 6
3. The reflection is well written (has an introduction, a body and a conclusion) and
follows some or all of the guidelines provided on the syllabus: ______ / 4
4. The reflection presents clean grammatical structures: ______ / 4
TOTAL: ________ / 20
At home exams- Grading Criteria
Short Answer Questions (10pts p/question)
1. The answer provided addressed the question with precision and clarity: ______ / 5
2. When needed, the student is able to support his/her answer with the bibliography
discussed in class:
______ / 3
3. The answer is grammatically and syntactically clear: ______ / 2
TOTAL: _______ / 10
Essay question (20 pts)

SPAN 3312, Page 13


1. The answer provided addressed the question with precision and clarity: ________ / 6
2. The student is able to support his/her answer with the bibliography discussed in
class: _______ / 5
3. The answer follows a coherent structure (introduction, body, conclusion) that helps
the reader to follow the students argument: ________ / 5
4. The answer is grammatically and syntactically clear: ______ / 4
TOTAL: _______ / 20
Presentaciones en clase: Artculo
1. The student is able to summarize the thesis and main concepts of the article with
clarity and precision on the time frame: ________ / 8
2. The presentation serves as a well introduction for the class discussion of the
reading and the topic: ______/ 5
3. The student is able to engage discussion from his/her peers by providing
thoughtful and clear questions: _________ / 6
4. The handout provided by the student clearly states the main points of the
presentation: _______ / 5
5. Vocabulary and grammatical correctness: ________ / 6
TOTAL: _______ / 30pts
Presentaciones en clase: Noticia de peridico
1. The article selected is relevant to the week or class day discussion: _______ / 8
2. The student is able to present the articles main points on the time frame: _______ /
6
3. The student sent his/her article at least a day before the class in order to share
with her/his peers: ______ /4
4. Vocabulary and grammatical correctness: ________ / 2
TOTAL: ______ / 20pts
Bibliografa Anotada- Grading Criteria
1. The bibliography is relevant to the Grupo de Discusins topic: ______ / 3

SPAN 3312, Page 14


2. The bibliography consists of a variety (academic journals, websites, books, online
news, etc) of at least 4 items: ________ / 8
3. Each citation is accompanied with a brief summary that clearly summarize the
information and explains its relevance to the topic: ________ / 10
4. The bibliography follows the 7th Edition MLA citation standards: ________ / 7
5. Vocabulary and grammatical correctness: ________ /2
TOTAL: ________ / 30pts
Discussion Group- Presentacin
1. Organization: The group was able to equally divide the presentations
responsibilities: _______ / 10
2. Clarity: Each member is able to present his/her topic with clarity, precision and in
coherence to the topic and the organization of the group: _________ / 12
3. Engagement: The group is able to engage and provide active class discussion,
keeping the attention and interest of their peers: _______ / 10
4. Creativity: The presentation is visually creative and dynamic (either on the use of
power points, pictures or any other visual technique, and/or the body language of
the groups members): ________ / 9
5. Precision: Syntactical, vocabulary and grammatical correctness: ________ / 9
TOTAL: _____ / 50
Discussion Group: Webpage Grading Criteria
1. The information on the webpage is coherently organized and easy to follow:
________ / 6
2. The webpage has an attractive format, visual aids, and is easy to navigate:
_______ / 5
3. The information and organization on the webpage keeps relationship with the Mesa
Redonda presentation: ________ / 3
4. Syntactical, vocabulary and grammatical correctness: ________ / 6
TOTAL: _________ / 20

SPAN 3312, Page 15

Discussion Group: Webpage draft


1. Organization and clarity: The webpage illustrates the rationale behind the
presentation and add more info wherever is needed: __ ____/ 3
2. Precision: Syntactical, vocabulary and grammatical correctness: ______ / 2
Discussion Group: Trabajo escrito
1. Organization: The student is able to coherently organized their information and
follow the guidelines given on the syllabus. The structure follows an easy to read
format (introduction, body, conclusion) and use sophisticated transitions: ________ /
10
2. Development: The student demonstrates a sophisticated development on his/her
narrative, well executed progression of ideas and strong use of examples, evidence
and resources: __________ / 15
3. Resources and citations: The student follows the MLA standards. Well use of in text
citation and bibliographic resources: _________ / 8
4. Grammar Usage: The student demonstrates well use of vocabulary, precise
grammatical structures and syntax: _______ / 7
TOTAL: _________ / 40
Participation Grading Criteria
I will follow the following rubric from Cleary University:

http://resources.cleary.edu/m/page/In-Class+Participation+Rubric

SPAN 3312, Page 16

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