Required Outcomes for this Goal

(list below)

Relevant Course/Institutional Components (refer specifically to course syllabus)

Specific Assessment Method for Outcome

Understand major movements, themes, and values in one or more cultures as revealed in literature.

The whole course focuses on understanding major movements and themes of French literature.  Students will read and discuss texts such as  “Chanson de Geste” and poetry in the Middle Ages, 16^th century poetry, classical plays from the 17^th century, and texts by the philosophers of the 18^th century.

Students will receive grades for their quizzes, essays and papers, as well as a participation grade for each class meeting.

Tracking/Reporting: Mean score of class out of 100 points on relevant test items.

Analyze particular literary texts as reflections of cultural movements, themes, and values.

Example:  Students will analyze and compare the writings of Martin Luther and Jean Calvin (p.71-74), and examine how their ideologies reflected the need for change caused by corruption in the Catholic Church.

Students will participate in a class debate (2/6), in which they will be asked to impersonate either M.Luther, J. Calvin, or the Pope, and to defend their respective views on theology.

Tracking/Reporting: Mean score of class out of 100 points on rubric used to grade quality of arguments during debate.

Required Outcomes for this Goal

(list below)

Relevant Course/Institutional Components (refer specifically to course syllabus)

Specific Assessment Method for Outcome

Develop and defend interpretations of literary texts through written discourse.

Sample assignment:  After reading Montesquieu’s “De l’Esprit des lois” (excerpts p.290-97), students will write a short paper to state and defend their position on the following question: “What kind of government was Montesquieu advocating?”

Students will write a composition (#3) to answer this question.

Tracking/Reporting: Mean score of class out of a 100 points.

General Education Criteria

Relevant Course Components (refer specifically to course syllabus)

1. Teach a disciplinary mode of inquiry and provide students with practice in applying inquiry, critical thinking, problem solving

Students learn what questions to ask and the terminology to use in answering them when analyzing poems, plays, and narratives in French.

2. Provide examples of how disciplinary knowledge changes through creative applications of the chosen mode of inquiry

Example:  After analyzing La Rochefoucault’s “Maximes” (p.234-36), students will create their own maxims, and examine whether the moral content of their maxims is different from that of a 17^th century French writer.

3. Consider questions of ethical values

Students will consider the moral dilemma raised in the 17^th century play “Le Cid” (p.118-146), in which the heroine has to chose between love and duty, between lover or father.  Students will explore the 17^th century concept of honor.

General Education Criteria

Relevant Course Components (refer specifically to course syllabus)

4. Explore past, current, and future implications of disciplinary knowledge

After reading texts on education by Rabelais (p.62-65), Montaigne (p.92-99), and Rousseau (p.393-96), students will discuss in class (4/10) the ideas of these three writers on education.  Students will debate the value of these authors’ recommendations in their historical context, and ponder whether this advice is still applicable now, and will be in the future.

5. Encourage consideration of course content from diverse perspectives

Students will examine how the political theme of absolute authority and order was mirrored in a variety of cultural expressions, from religious intolerance to literature such as a grammar treatise (Malherbe p.109-110) , a play (Le Cid p.118-146), maximes (La Rochefoucault p.234-36), as well as art, music and architecture.

6. Provide opportunities for students to increase information literacy through contemporary techniques of gathering, manipulating, and analyzing information and data

Students will use electronic research tools such as the MLA Bibliography to find appropriate sources for their essays.  They will also use the Web to find primary and secondary texts, and will use French word processing to write their essay and compositions.

General Education Criteria

Relevant Course Components (refer specifically to course syllabus)

7. Require at least one substantive written paper, oral report, or course journal and also require students to articulate information or ideas in their own words on tests and exams

Students write an end of semester research paper and three compositions.  Every exam includes the writing of a short essay.

8. Foster awareness of the common elements among disciplines and the interconnectedness of disciplines

Every text studied is placed in its historical, sociological, political, and cultural context.  For example, students will understand that Medieval “Passion” plays (p.28-32) were designed to function as religious instruction for an illiterate population. 

Students will also explore how the 17^th century emphasis on order and authority, and the 18^th century valorization of feelings and emotions were reflected and contrasted in the arts.

9. Provide a rationale as to why knowledge of this discipline is important to the development of an educated citizen

Students live in a democratic type of government that has its roots in the writings of many 18^th century French writers such as Montesquieu (p.290-97), and Rousseau (p.380-83).  Educated citizens must know the ideological foundations of the political system in which they live.