Class Work
Students will be responsible to producing many different kinds of written/creative work over the course of the year.
The basis of History/ Medieval Studies (generally) is reading. Our class, thus, expects you to read a fair bit. But reading secondary sources on medieval manuscripts, can be difficult and frustrating given the knowledge assumed by the authors and the very particular terminology used. We will therefore collectively annotate (i.e. comment on) the texts before class using Perusall to help us all process the material
Speaking/discussion is key to practice organizing thought into rational and logical structures
Writing is essential practice for making written arguments in an authoritative fashion suitable for historical subjects
I also want the class to have a creative element - we will work on a group-designed exhibition, showcasing our work over the year and the objects of our study. This element gets us thinking about how an audience outside of academia might be best addressed and might be learn about the past.
Over the course of two terms, students will work to understand and showcase the medieval material in Carleton's collection. In the Fall term, students will undertake research into one of Carleton's medieval folios. In the Winter term, students will further build on this research by developing an exhibition (online or physical) of the medieval folios, printed works and the work created over the course of the two terms. Both the research and the exhibition will be cumulative works, building on assignments done in/ for class.
Social annotation takes the usually solitary act of reading and allows students to do it in community with one another. By using digital tools to highlight, comment, or otherwise annotate a text, students “do the reading,” but do so in conversation with their peers. Behind the scenes, Perusall quantifies your performance annotating (it measures the time your spend, the
You might want to experiment with the QQTPA method when reading. When you are reading on Perusall in preparation for class or when you researching your topic, you are asked to highlight key texts, pose questions and make comments in the margins of the textbooks. Make sure to write all of the following:
a Question: Write a discussion question based on any one of the readings assigned. As you read assigned materials, note where questions come to mind about the ideas, timeline, methods or conclusions. This can be a simple, "What is X the author is talking about" or a thoughtful question that invites analysis, synthesis, or evaluation of the material, or makes connections between the readings/ previous discussion.
a Quotation: Identify a quotation from the reading material. Find something that is especially pertinent –in your opinion– to the main points of the readings. Your selection should be neither too short (1 line) nor too long (10-12 lines). Provide a proper citation.
a Talking Point: Develop a talking point – an issue or idea developed from the reading that is of interest to you. Let us “see inside your head” as you think about, accept, reject, or otherwise engage the reading material. You do not need to answer your question (no. 1) here, but you should discuss why you think it is an important one to consider.
an Answer: As your reading the textbook and reader on Perusall, read through other students' questions and try to answer one.
For the class, students will be responsible for regularly writing up (individually or together, if they choose) their findings about book history and medieval manuscripts. We have a class wordpress site which we will all contribute to as a way of documenting the ideas and experiences.
Posts can address the readings - contextualizing articles read or proposing discussions question in advance, address other questions that students wish to be answered (perhaps related to their individual research projects)
In class, we will begin practical exercises that will usually be completed in class, but may at times need to be started beforehand or completed outside of class time. These exercises will usually be hands-on practical activities that will guide your research into your medieval folios.
For much of Fall term, the exercises will consist of 'experimental codicology' where we will cut parchment into folios, outline writing space, write text, illustrate the page and bind the folios together into a pamphlet.
Each student will be responsible for leading the discussion in seminars (likely together with another student). The student(s) leading the seminar will provide questions or especial topics of discussion a week before the seminar they are leading. Each seminar will begin with the student-leader(s) raising and gathering interesting or perplexing issues from each of the other students/ or as noted on Perusall. A good presenter will evidence an ability to contextualize the readings knowledgeably, and to note or critique the theoretical stance. The goal is to facilitate discussion, so avoid lecturing.
You will need to lead two seminars this year. Follow this link to find a google spreadsheet listing available time slots. Only after all weeks have at least one seminar leader are you allowed to sign up as the second on one.
Likely Teams is the best place to pose your questions at least a week before the day you are to lead the discussion.
Last updated
Was this helpful?