Spanish 461: Spanish Civilization and Culture Prof.

Roman-Mendoza
Spring 2009 (703) 993-1232
Thompson Hall 112 - TR 10:30-11:45 eromanme@gmu.edu
Office Hours TR 9:30-10:15 and by appointment Skype: e.roman.mendoza

DESCRIPTION
Span 461 has been designed for students who have completed 15 credit hours of instruction in Spanish (or can
demonstrate an equivalent level of proficiency). Span 461 reviews the history of Spain from the prehistoric times to
the present, covering Spanish achievements in literature and the arts as well. Spanish 452 is a prerequisite for this
class.

OBJECTIVES
• To identify important names, dates and events in Spanish History.
• To write small essays on topics and press reviews related to the Spanish Civilization and Culture.
• To consult on-line, printed and multimedia reference materials to find additional information on research
themes.
• To produce on-line materials that reflect critical thinking regarding topics covered in this course.

MATERIALS AND SKILLS

• Ross, Christopher J. Spain 1812-2004. Modern History for Modern Languages. London: Arnold, 2004.
• Interactive course website: http://courses.gmu.edu. Instructor will use this site to post weekly assignments
and announcements on the Calendar Module, as well as handouts and study guides.
• Blogger account. Students will create their own blog on Blogger (www.blogger.com) for their individual
course project. Check http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnploFsS_tY (or any of the reference links listed
on the course website) for directions on how to create a blog. Once you have your blog, create an
introductory entry about yourself and send its address to the instructor.
• Internet skills (e-mail, WWW, searches, etc.), blogs and Blackboard use. If you are not familiarized with
these tools, STAR, UCIS and the university libraries offer free workshops on how to use Internet-related
applications.

ATTENDANCE
Class discussions and activities provide the kind of interaction in Spanish that you cannot get at home. For this
reason, there is no substitution for attendance. You are expected to attend all classes and be on time. If you arrive
late you are being disruptive and you may also miss some important information given at the beginning, which
cannot be repeated every time a student is late. You are responsible for all material covered in class. Keep in mind
that irregular attendance will severely affect your learning process and, consequently, your final grade in this course.
In case of an emergency, you are expected to let your instructor know about it as soon as possible.

ASSESSMENT
The progress made by students in this class will be evaluated by the following criteria:

1. Class preparation and participation: 10%

2. Weekly essays: 20%
3. 50-words assignments: 15%
4. Midterm: 20%
5. My Blog on Spain (semester project): 15%
6. Take-home exam: 20%

1. Class preparation and participation

Participation means active involvement in the class. Students are encouraged to contribute in class discussions and
are expected to speak only Spanish. In order for you to actively participate in class, you need to read in advance the
material assigned for each class. The participation grade includes:

1. your contribution in Spanish in regular class sessions and in group activities;

2. your cooperation and leadership in group and pair work, and
 3. your respect and attitude towards your peers and the class.

2. Essays
Specific essay questions will be assigned every week. Typed and 1.5-spaced 250-words essays will be collected
every week. Late assignments will lose 10% of the grade for each weekday of delay. A selection of essays will be
posted on the course blog (http://span461spring2009.blogspot.com/) every week.

3. 50-words assignments
On the days there will be no essays assigned (once a week), students will have to respond one of the several
questions assigned by the instructor. Late assignments will lose 10% of the grade for each weekday of delay.
Answers will not exceed 50 words and will be turned it typed and 1.5-spaced. A selection of short assignments will
be posted on the course blog (http://span461spring2009.blogspot.com/) every week.

4. and 6. Midterm and take-home exam

There will be one midterm test and a final take-home exam in this course. These assignments will evaluate the
student’s ability to identify important names, events and dates related to the Spanish Culture, and to write short
essays on topics covered in class. The first exam will be administered in class on Thursday, March 19th. The take-
home exam is due May 7 by 1:15PM.

5. My blog on Spain
Students will receive a list of ten tasks to perform via the Web. These tasks will include newspapers comparisons,
websites reviews, and searches for information. It is highly recommended that tasks will be carried out every week.
Answers to the questions and comments will be kept in a blog, which will have to be completed by April 30th, 2009.
Instructor will regularly access students’ blogs to check progress and leave comments. More details in class.

CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM

Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated in this class. Sources and materials need to be properly cited and
acknowledged. All written work, including exams and outside of class assignments, must be done independently.
There is no exception to this policy in this class. Please note that you are expected to work on your assignments on
your own, and you should not have them written, reviewed or corrected by anybody else. Assignments may be sent
to a plagiarism identification tool by students (which is encouraged in cases students have doubts about their
papers) or by the instructor (hopefully, never).

Students are expected to be familiar with and abide by the GMU Honor Code. Please consult the Honor code
online for definitions and policies: http://jiju.gmu.edu/catalog/apolicies/honor.html. Any students who are not sure
of any of the policies regarding independent work are responsible for requesting clarification from their instructor.

DISABILITY SUPPORT SERVICES

Any student with documented learning disabilities or other conditions that may affect academic performance should
make sure this documentation is on file with the Office of Disability Support (SUB I, second floor; 993-2474) . You
might need and should talk with the professor to discuss reasonable accommodations.
 CLASS CALENDAR (Subject to modification)
Dates Class Work Class Preparation
Jan 22 Introduction. Class logistics. Web sites. IT Skills. Read syllabus
Spain: Geography
Jan 27 Preliminary issues: The idea of “España” until the Read Handout 1. Create blog
Habsburgs Essay 1
Jan 29 Culture. The Roman Empire. The Muslim and Jewish Read Handout 2.
influences. America. 50-words Assignment 1
Feb 3 Preliminary issues: The idea of “España” from the Read Handout 3.
Habsburgs to 1812 Essay 2
Feb 5 Culture. The rise and the fall. Renaissance. Baroque. Read Handout 4.
50-words Assignment 2
Feb 10 Liberals, reactionaries and generals (1812-1868) Read textbook (7-20).
Essay 3
Feb 12 Enlightenment. Romanticism. Read Handout 5.
50-words Assignment 3
Feb 17 Out of chaos, stability? (1868-1898) Read textbook (21-36).
Essay 4
Feb 19 The military forces 50-words Assignment 4
Feb 24 Change frustrated (1898-1923) Read textbook (37-56).
Essay 5
Feb 26 Modernism and Generación del 98 50-words Assignment 5
Mar 3 Change imposed (1923-1931) Read textbook (57-66).
Essay 6
Mar 5 Avant-gardes in poetry and visual arts I 50-words Assignment 6
Mar 10-15 SPRING BREAK
Mar 17 Avant-gardes in poetry and visual arts II Handout 6.
Essay 7
Mar 19 Midterm Prepare exam
Mar 24 A troubled democracy (1931-1936) Read textbook (67-82).
Essay 8
Mar 26 Family and religion 50-words Assignment 7
Mar 31 An unequal struggle (1936-1939) Read textbook (83-98).
Essay 9
Abr 2 Two Spains Handout 8.
50-words Assignment 8
Abr 7 Back to the future (1939-1959) Read textbook (99-116).
Abr 9 The difficult postwar times. Las fosas del olvido Handout 9.
50-words Assignment 9
Abr 14 The bottle half-uncorked (1959-1975) Read textbook (117-132).
Essay 10
Abr 16 La dictadura y la educación Handout 10.
50-words Assignment 9
Abr 21 A delicate operation (1975-1982) Read textbook (133-150).
Abr 23 The State of the Autonomies Handout 9.
50-words Assignment 10
Abr 28 Back to the mainstream (1982-1993) Read textbook (151-170).
Essay 11
Abr 30 Mass media and society Personal Blog Due
May 5 Between regionalism and globalization (1993-2006) Read textbook (171-194).
May 7 Take-home exam due FROM 10:30AM TO 1:15PM