Class Schedule 

Hand in final essay and final exam

Class Discussion Website

Grades

UW Baltic Studies Program

Class Meeting times: MW 1:30-3:20, Miller Hall 302-A

This course gives a broad introduction to the cultures of the Estonians, Latvians, and Lithuanians.  Baltic literature, music, art and film will be studied in their historical context, exploring the relation between people and culture in the Baltic States.  

Course Objectives:

• Encounter about twenty leading cultural figures in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and engage works they created.  
• Explore different approaches to interpreting culture (literature, film, art and music)
• Develop skills for interpreting and writing about culture.  
• Gain an appreciation and understanding of Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian cultures

Required Readings

• Readings online or handouts, as listed in the lecture schedule. 
• Ričardas Gavelis, Vilnius Poker (Open Letter Books, 2009)

Grades (see details below)

• 30% Class participation: presentations, discussions, and quizzes about reading assignments
• 20% Final Examination
   
• 30% Three short essays (3-5 pages each), described below (extra credit for extra essays!)
• 20% One of the above essays, revised and expanded

Class participation: Come to class prepared to discuss the works assigned for that day:

• Know the names of authors and content of works;
• formulate an analytical idea about the work, even if you aren't doing the official presentation;
• have at hand a specific quoted passage that you think is particularly relevant to your ideas.

Each student will be required to give at least one oral presentation about a work assigned in this class, on the due date for that work.   Class participation includes participation in online discussions.  Over the entire course, you should contribute a total of at least ten posts to the class discussions website (one per week).   Critiques of work by your colleagues are particularly important.   For every essay you post, you should post at least one comment on an essay by another student in class. 

The final exam will test your knowledge of people and works we've encountered in class assignments.  Write notes as you prepare for each class discussion (see above), add to the notes during class discussion, and study these notes for the final exam!

Three essays (3-5 pages each), posted on the class discussions website.  Use MLA style to refer to published sources.  We will discuss these essays online, and you'll get tips and on how to write good essays.
The order in which you post these three essays is up to you, but one essay must be posted by 5:00 pm on each due date: 

1. Essay about a reading assignment.  Post it on the class discussions website under the week when it is assigned.  You should post a writeup of an oral presentation you've done in class, and that satisfies the requirement.  But you may also post on works that you did not present orally;
2. Essay about a work of literature not assigned for this class.  Posted on the class discussions website;
3. Essay about a film, musical recording, or other work of art not assigned for this class.  Posted on the class discussions website.

Imagine that each of these three essays is a draft for your final essay, and you'll get perfect grades!

Final essays   Topics and content will vary.  Most essays will include more or less information from each of the following categories:

• Information about the author (composer, filmmaker, etc)
• Brief summary of the work
• Analysis of the work: its form and content
• Interpretation of the work's meaning(s)
• References to others who have written about the author and work. 

We will discuss how to write these essays in class and online.

A basic tip for excellence:   If you haven't already done so, take the online tutorial, "Research 101," at the UW Libraries website!

 Last Updated: 03/10/2009