Ben Spanbock
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               College Writing R1A: Accelerated Reading and Composition
                                   
                                    "California History and Culture"

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Section 25: M/W/F 10:00-12:00
                    106 Mulford Hall
Section 11:   M/W/F 2:00 -4:00
                   100 Wheeler Hall
 
Instructor: Ben Spanbock
Office Hours: M:12-1/W:1-2
Office: Wheeler M20




Syllabus                                                              Weekly Class Schedule
Course Reader (sign-in required)                                   Working CA Timeline    
Fall 2014 Prompts and Assignments                           Course Playlist

Description: 
The state of California encompasses a tremendous amount of social, cultural, environmental, and regional diversity. Operating under the premise that our diverse community stands to benefit from intellectually informed ideas and opinions, the purpose of this class is to introduce practical methods for reading historical and cultural “texts” (print, visual, auditory, social, etc.) and activating the writing process as a method for engaging with the dynamic issues they raise. Together we will examine a number of short and long texts that draw from and speak to a variety of academic discourses, including film, journalism, environmental studies, literature, social sciences, history, and cultural studies. Beginning with an overview of the place of California in writing, we will work together to define the limits of a “California imaginary” to serve as our common ground while identifying and pursuing issues relevant to our own interests. Students will be asked to read deeply and carefully, and to practice both formal and informal writing with the goal of forming their own perspectives on relevant issues.

Week 1: In search of Paradise

PictureFire and lights in "The Valley"


These promotional videos and parodies hint at the monetary value invested in perpetuating the California Dream.

Week 2: Beginnings

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Henry Miller reading at Big Sur
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Examining the redwoods
Map of native groups in California
An extended account of the Maidu Native Creation Myth

Weeks 3 and 4: Spanish Fantasy Heritage

Picture1923 Production Ad. for "Ramona" in Hemet (connected by paved highway!)

I'm trying to start a student generated materials page for H.H. Jackson's classic ethical romance Ramona. Will you help me? 


See More Here: Digital Ramona Project

Week 5: Water Wars

PictureOwens Valley Paiute



PBS Video: Agriculture's effects on frogs


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Owens Lake, red from halophilic algae
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Mary Austin, Jack London, and the 'Carmel Bohemians'

Week 6: In "The City" 

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The Palace Hotel, San Francisco ~1930
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Week 7: Decentering Anglo Experience 

PictureChinatown medical clinic ~1890

New Almaden article
Mercury Article



Bancroft Library Japanese American Internment Archive



Cervantes, Lorna Dee. Freeway 280


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New Almaden Mercury Mine from above

Week 8: Speeches and Social Movements 


Speeches and Social Movements Workpage

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"Retro" Harvey Milk Day poster ~2010
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Mario Savio at Sproul Hall
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UCSD Cesar Chavez Legacy Mural

Weeks 9 and 10: Gangs, Police, and the Imprisonment Cycle   

SF Gate Article: California prisons' solitary units - necessary or inhumane?

Week 11: Identity and Fantasy

      

University Library Article Database Jumpsite







PictureDisney's "California Adventure"
 

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A Page from Deborah Vankin's "Poseurs"

Weeks 12, 13, 14: Endings, Epilogues, Revisions, Etc.

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"Missed Connections" by Adrian Tomine


R1A Portfolio: Official Guidelines for Students 

The Salton Sea and its environs
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An image from The Salton Sea

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