• HU (Humanities) designation
  Overall, this course addresses the ability to deal with questions of values, ethics, and aesthetics as they are represented in literature and related fields within the Humanities which will be the focus.  This course emphasizes the history and appreciation of the Humanities, rather than simply the ability to perform tasks at the written level.
  
  
• COURSE DESCRIPTION
  This course is the first in a two-course sequence. It will introduce you to main aspects of the civilization of the German speaking countries from the beginnings up to the 19th century through online readings and class presentations and discussion. We will focus on history, literature, architecture, and art.
  
  
• LEARNING OUTCOMES / COURSE OBJECTIVES
  In this course you will obtain a broad understanding of the history and culture of the German speaking area from the beginnings through 1832.
  In this course you will
  - gain an understanding of main historical events while exploring the significance of cultural history for the present.
  - explore definitions of culture.
  - develop an awareness of your own cultural identity.
  - raise the level of German language competency in the areas of reading, writing, listening and speaking.
  
  We will investigate definitions of culture and the meaning of culture shock. We are all part of a culture as well as subcultures without being necessarily aware of that. Acquiring knowledge about other cultures raises the awareness of differences and contributes thus to a deeper understanding of one's own culture(s). Raising this level of awareness of one's own culture is thus one objective of this course.
  At the same time you will review and strengthen your use of the German language in simulated real-life, discursive contexts. Assessment of your advancement in the knowledge of the language and culture of the German speaking countries follows the guidelines of ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language) World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages . The course will accordingly focus on your ability to communicate successfully in writing and speaking. An oral presentation with a questioning and answering time will further help you and me to assess your progress in this course.
  Excerpt from the Standards: Knowing how, when, and why to say what to whom. All the linguistic and social knowledge required for effective human-to-human interaction is encompassed in those ten words. Formerly, most teaching in foreign language classrooms concentrated on the how (grammar) to say what (vocabulary). While these components of language are indeed crucial, the current organizing principle for foreign language study is communication, which also highlights the why, to whom, and the when. So, while grammar and vocabulary are essential tools for communication, it is the acquisition of the ability to communicate in meaningful and appropriate ways with the users of other languages and cultures that is the ultimate goal of today's foreign language classroom.
  
  
• TUTORIAL SERVICE
  If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask me.
  The German Program offers also a free tutorial service. Watch for flyers posted, check the German program web page, or ask me.
  
  
• ATTENDANCE - MAKE-UPS - PARTICIPATION-PREPARATION
  Participation and preparation count as 10 % of your grade. When you come to class, have your homework finished. For this course, this refers mostly to the reading of the assigned texts and preparing worksheets. In the beginning of a class session I will check from time to time your reading comprehension with small mini-quizzes.
  
  You will have an initial 28 points in your participation/preparation account. For every session you come prepared you receive participation/ preparation credit for that class session. For every session you miss I will deduct one point. You cannot earn preparation/participation credit if you have not prepared your homework or if you are absent. I will begin taking attendance the first Tuesday of classes.
  Regular attendance is essential. THERE ARE NO MAKE-UPS for missed quizzes and other assignments. On rare occasions when absence is unavoidable due to serious illness or family emergency, I may require proof of your reason of absence before we discuss the possibility of make-up work.
  
  
• ASSESSMENT / ASSIGNMENTS
  You will have a variety of tasks to complete in this course allowing to employ a variety of assessment tools.
  Assignments listed on the syllabus are to be prepared for the day they are listed. You will probably spend one to two hours work outside of class for each class session. This includes preparing reading and writing assignments.
  
  * You will prepare Arbeitsblätter (worksheets) that cover reading assignments and grammatical items if necessary.
  
  * You will be required to write six short essays on a given topic. Mark the total of your words (at least 200) at the end of your essay. You can earn 20 points per essay.
  I will deduct points:
  1. If subject and verb do not agree.
  2. If you the verb is in the wrong position.
  3. If your total of words is less than 200 words.
  4. Incomprehensible sentences will be deducted from the total of words, so that you could end up with less than 200 words.
  5. You can earn extra points if you write more. If you wrote 260 words, made three errors with subject/verb or verb position, then these errors will not count, because you wrote more.
  6. I will deduct also points if your essay is not in MLA style.
  
  Consider all written assignments a preparation for the quizzes and exams. Your essays have to be submitted via Turnitin. All assignments have to be double-spaced and follow MLA Style (please follow the links on the left to view a sample paper and a sample works cited page).
  
  * You will prepare a Power Point presentation of about 20 minutes in length. For this Power Point Referat, you will choose a topic of interest that you will discuss with me and that has to be approved. We will discuss possible topics in class. Be ready to talk for at least 20 minutes. I encourage you to run a test presentation in order to prepare for your actual Referat. You will be evaluated on content, delivery, and the presentation overall.
  Here are some hints:
  -You may not simply read from the slides.
  -Slides should be a backdrop for your presentation that allows you to speak freely.
  -Make use of photos, illustrations, maps etc. in your slides.
  -Make sure that your presentation does not contain any spelling or grammar errors.
  -Rehearse your presentation.
  I will provide you with a rubric so that you can see the criteria for grading your PowerPoint presentation.
  
  * At the end of the course you will prepare a cultural artifact based on the knowledge you acquired in this class. This artifact should represent one aspect of the culture of the German speaking countries. The specifics of this artifact is your choice and entirely up to you. During the last session you will explain to the class your artifact, what it represents, why you chose to make it, and how it relates to the course. Again, I will provide you with a rubric in advance, so that you can prepare and present your artifact accordingly.
  
  All your written assignments have to be typed. This will facilitate the editing of your text immensely. German characters: Please make sure that you use in your writing the appropriate German characters (ss for ß or ue for ü etc are not acceptable). If you need help with typing German characters on your computer, please consult this link.
  
  Please prepare your assignments on time and note that I will not accept any excuses for the lateness of your written work because of any kind of computer related problems. Written assignments may be turned in personally, at my office or via e-mail before class. Assignments are due at the beginning of class.

• EXAMS / FINAL
  There will be a midterm exam and a final covering the assigned material and the class presentations.
  
  
• GRADING SYSTEM

  Participation/Preparation	10%
  Arbeitsblätter, essays, minitests, quizzes,	20%
  Oral presentation (Power Point Referat)	20%
  Cultural Artifact	10%
  Midterm Exam	20%
  Final	20%

  The Grading Scale used in this course is the standard +/- scale used by the University:

  A+ 97-100	A 93-96	A- 90-92	B+ 87-89	B 83-86	B- 80-82
  C+ 77-79	C 73-76	C- 70-72	D+ 67-69	D 63-66	D- 60-62
  F 59 below

  
  

• HONOR CODE / ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT IN THE GERMAN CLASSROOM
  Academic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, and misrepresentation, is not allowed. Students committing such misconduct are reported to the Dean’s office. Consult the Code of Academic Conduct as stated in the undergraduate catalog for details. Please keep the Code of Academic Conduct as stated in the Student Handbook in mind for all the work for this class. Please follow the link to read the entire Code of Academic Conduct addressing cheating, plagiarism, fabrication and misrepresentation.
  
  
• All compositions must be original and written by you, the student without assistance. German tutoring services are available for free Monday through Friday, and will be announced in class and also posted on the German program web page. Tutors will aid you with grammar explanations and address your specific questions. However, a tutor will not simply revise or correct your composition, as that would be considered cheating. The use of online translation programs is not allowed either; you may look up an individual word, but translating phrases, sentences, and paragraphs with the help of an online translator or a person constitutes plagiarism. Please be particularly aware of the following section of the UA Academic Honor Code:
  (1) Cheating -- using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, study aids, or computer-related information.
  (2) Plagiarism -- representing the words, data, pictures, figures, works, ideas, computer program or output, or anything not generated in an authorized fashion, as one's own.
  

• UA NONDISCRIMINATION NOTICE
  The University of Alabama complies with applicable laws prohibiting discrimination, including Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Executive Order 11246, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Era Veterans Adjustment Assistance Act, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status in admission or access to, or treatment of employment in, its programs and services.
  
  
• DISABILITY SERVICES
  It is university policy to provide, on a flexible and individualized basis, reasonable accommodations to students who have disabilities that may affect their ability to participate in course activities or to meet course requirements. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact me in the beginning of the semester to discuss their individual needs for accommodations. It is standard university procedure that instructors require from students with learning disabilities a letter requesting accommodations in compliance with the Office of Disability Services (ODS). If you have a disability, register with ODS. Instructors are not obligated to provide academic adjustments until they have received an RFA letter ("Request for Accommodations" letter). To request disability accommodations, please contact the Office of Disability Services at 348-4285. After initial arrangements are made with that office, contact your professor. This information refers to all courses at the university.
  
  
• STORMS AND OTHER EMERGENCIES
  The primary university communication tool for sending out information is the UA web site. Students should consult this site as soon as they can in an emergency. Information on the course will be given through the E-learning shell in case of an emergency.
  
  SEMESTERPLAN check the syllabus often for updates and new links.
  
  ACHTUNG Links change constantly - please email me if a link does not work any more.

Wörterbuch

WOCHE 1	Was Sie machen müssen	Was Sie machen können
1. Do, 24. 8.	0. EINFÜHRUNG: What is culture? Kultur - culture? Culture Shock; Culture and Cognitive Science Intro - Was ist germanisch? Wer waren die Germanen?
WOCHE 2
2. Di, 29. 8.	Lesen: 1. DIE GERMANEN Lesen: Wer waren "die Germanen"?; Varusschlacht; Mythos Arminius - Hermann; Die Germanen:Gesellschaft; Gefolgschaft; Frauen und Männer; Themen heute: Gesellschaft, Varusschlacht, Kampf usw. Themen für PowerPoint Referate	Die Germanen, 1-4 (on youtube); Immigrant Song; Tacitus, Germania (engl.); Tacitus, Germania (dt.); The Battle in the Teutoburg Forest Languages: Misc: Proto-Indo-European; Germanic.
3. Do, 31. 8.	Lesen: The Ambush That Changed History ; Crisis of the 3rd Century; please click on the play button to see the map change; Sehen: Kampf um Germanien (44 Minuten!); Hildebrandslied (bitte deutsche und engl. Übersetzung lesen) Themen heute: Völkerwanderung / Hildebrandslied Mehr zum Thema: Übersicht zum Thema Germanen: Die Germanen
WOCHE 3
4. Di, 5. 9.	Schreiben: 1. Die Germanen (kurze Zusammenfassung, 200 Wörter, via Blackboard Turnitin); GERMAN SPELL CHECK (online) 2. DIE ANFÄNGE DES REICHS Lesen: Die Entstehung des Frankenreiches; The Staffordshire Hoard.	Extra: Die Wikinger in Europa; Runestones ;
5. Do, 7. 9.	Lesen: Die Entstehung des Frankenreiches; Political Organization in the Early Middle Ages;	Extra: The Conversion of Clovis; Bonifatius
WOCHE 4
6. Di, 12. 9.	3. KARL DER GROSSE Lesen:  Karl der Große - Privatleben; Karl der Große; Fränkisches Reich;Die Franken; DAS FRANKENREICH UM 700 - ZEITTAFEL: VON DEN ALAMANNEN ZU DEN KAROLINGER;
7. Do, 14. 9.	Arbeitsblatt "Das Reich der Franken" (abgeben) Lesen: Die Franken; Karolingische Renaissance; Karl der Große und die Sachsen	Battle of Tours 732; Charlemagne; The pope makes the Carolingians kings; Einhard: The Life of Charlemagne.
WOCHE 5
8. Di, 19. 9.	Woher kommt das Wort "Deutsch"? Lesen Sie hier. Althochdeutsche Literatur(doc); 8. Jahrhundert; 9.Jahrhundert (Heliand); 10. Jahrhundert (Notker Labeo)
9. Do, 21. 9.	Karolingische Kunst (Karolingische Renaissance) 4. DIE HÖFISCHE KULTUR DES HOHEN MITTELALTERS Lesen: Frühe Kulturen und Mittelalter; Middle Ages; Otto und das Reich; Heinrich und der Papst;  Im Kurs: Europa im Mittelalter - von Rittern und Turnieren (Film 51:40) Arbeitsblatt "Karl der Große" (abgeben) PPT: Karl der Große (Hannah Wil)	Extra: Medieval Writing; Otto und das Reich; Otto I.
WOCHE 6
10. Di, 26. 9.	Schreiben: 2. Karl der Große und das deutsche Bildungswesen - Karolingische Renaissance (200 Wörter, via Blackboard Turnitin) Lesen: Ritter im Mittelalter (einfach); Die deutsche Literatur des Mittelalters; Nibelungenlied (short summary in English); PPT: Romanische Architektur (Sandra) PPT: Der Aachener Dom (Gabrielle)	Extra: Büstenhalter aus dem Mittelalter; Mittelalter-Quiz
11. Do, 28. 9.	Lesen: Die deutsche Literatur des Mittelalters; Gothic Architecture; Kölner Dom; Gotik; Architektur -Gotik; Der Kölner Dom (Film) PPT: Gotische Architektur (Megan) PPT: Der Kölner Dom (Judith) PPT: Das Kloster im Mittlelalter (Christina)
WOCHE 7
12. Di, 3. 10.	Lesen: Minnesang; Walther von der Vogelweide Die Burg im Mittelalter (Film 14:33) crusades; Kreuzzüge; Friedrich II. und der Kreuzzug PPT: Minnesang (Jordan) PPT: Friedrich Barbarossa (Katharina)
13. Do, 5. 10.	Lesen: Frauen im Mittelalter; Hildegard von Bingen und die Macht der Frauen; PPT: Frauen im Mittelalter (Hannah Wic) PPT: Die Kreuzzüge (Joe)	Extra: Friedrich I. Barbarossa; Eine spätmittelalterliche Pestvorschrift; Die Hansekogge von 1380;
WOCHE 8
14. Di, 10. 10.	Lesen: Schutz vor der Pest (Bild); Die Pest - Der Schwarze Tod; Die Geschichte der Pest; Die Pest als Strafe Gottes; Schreiben: 3. Die Rolle der Frau im Mittelalter (200 Wörter, via Blackboard Turnitin) PPT: Die Pest (Peter) PPT: Die Hanse (Charles)	Extra: Die Pest in Allendorf; Eine spätmittelalterliche Pestvorschrift;
15. Do, 12. 10.	MIDTERM TEIL 1 (due by beginning of class) MIDTERM TEIL 2 (Essay, im Kurs)	Fernsehserie: Die Deutschen
WOCHE 9
16. Di, 17. 10.	5. DIE ZEIT DER REFORMATION Lesen: Humanismus, Renaissance (1350-1600); Deutsche Bibeln vor Luther; Luther und die Nation; Luther und die deutsche Sprache; Sendbrief vom Dolmetschen: deutsch und englisch. Bild: Luther verbrennt die Bannandrohungsbulle; PPT: Hexen (Rachel)	Extra: Links zur Reformation (English); Martin Luther
17. Do, 19. 10.	Lesen:Die Entdeckung der Welt um 1500; Renaissance - Humanismus - Reformation; Gutenberg und seine Zeit; Die Reformation; PPT: Gutenberg (Sean)
WOCHE 10
18. Di, 24. 10.	Arbeitsblatt Luther (abgeben) Albrecht Dürer - Werke;	Extra:Albrecht Dürer (engl.); Mathematik und Kunst;
Do, 26. 10.	Mid-semester break - no class
WOCHE 11
19. Di, 31. 10.	6. DER 30JÄHRIGE KRIEG / DIE EPOCHE DES BAROCK Schreiben: 4. Martin Luther und die deutsche Sprache (200 Wörter, via Blackboard Turnitin) Lesen: Das Zeitalter des Barock (1600-1720); Reformation und Dreißigjähriger Krieg; Museum des Dreißigjährigen Krieges (Info und Dokumente); Lesen: Barock; Barocklyrik; Wallenstein und der Krieg; Film sehen: Das Barock - Epoche großer Widersprüche	Architektur des Barock
20. Do, 2. 11.	Lesen: Martin Opitz: Zwischen Carpe Diem und Memento Mori; Vanitas; Die Zeit des Barock; Vanitas; Historische Kostüme: Barock; PPT: Barocke Architektur (Austin) PPT: Wallenstein (Connor)	Info: Die heilige Munditia (bitte sehen Sie sich das Bild genau an).
WOCHE 12
21. Di, 7. 11.	7. DER AUFSTIEG PREUSSENS / AUFKLÄRUNG Lesen: Fürstenmacht und Allianzen in Europa; Friedrich Wilhelm I. in Preußen; Preußen - Chronik eines deutschen Staates" Schreiben: 5. Vanitas, Memento Mori und Carpe Diem (200 Wörter, via Blackboard Turnitin)PPT:  Friedrich Wilhelm I. (Tommy)
22. Do, 9.11.	Lesen: Aufklärung (~1600 - 1800); Friedrich II. von Preußen; Immanuel Kant: What is Enlightenment? Was ist Aufklärung? Aufklärung; PPT: Friedrich der Große (Will) PPT: Aufklärung (Rebecca)
WOCHE 13
23. Di, 14. 11.	Lesen: Aufklärung; Lessing, Nathan the Wise; Nathan der Weise - Ringparabel; PPT: Johann Sebastian Bach (Christian Mc)	Extra: Nathan der Weise
24. Do, 16. 11.	8. STURM UND DRANG, KLASSIK, NATIONENBILDUNG Lesen: Französische Revolution bis zum zweiten deutschen Kaiserreich; Historische Kostüme: Empire Sturm und Drang (Übersicht); Friedrich Schiller; Friedrich Schiller; Kabale und Liebe;	mehr Info: Sturm und Drang;
WOCHE 14
25. Di, 21. 11.	Lesen: Klassik; Kurzbiographie Goethe; Extra: Timeline zu Goethes Leben (klicken Sie auf die Links) PPT: Goethe (Danny) PPT: Mozart (Garrett)
26 Do, 23. 11.	THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
WOCHE 15
27. Di, 28. 11.	Lesen: Goethe; Kurzinhalt zu "Faust" (look for: -Autoren -Goethe- Werke -Faust) "Heidenröslein"; "Erlkönig";	Faust to go (in English)
28. Do, 30. 11.	"Heidenröslein"; "Erlkönig"; PPT: Beethoven (Christian F)
WOCHE 16
29. Di, 5. 12.	Schreiben: 6. "Die deutsche Klassik" (200 Wörter, via Blackboard Turnitin) Lesen: Die Brüder Grimm- Zeittafel; Die Brüder Grimm; Die Brüder Grimm und Sprache; Arndt: Des Teutschen Vaterland ; The German Fatherland; Culture and Nationalism; PPT: Die Brüder Grimm (Amanda)
30. Do, 7. 12.	Present and submit your cultural artifact.
MITTWOCH,  13.12. FREITAG, 15.12.	Wednesday: Final Take Home section DUE at 1 pm Friday:  8:00 am - 10:30 am FINAL

Und jetzt - viel Spaß!