I hope that you are healthy and safe.

It will be a challenge for us to continue the course during this global

pandemic.

Key Assignments for the Rest of the Semester:

The key assignments are your Research Proposal and Research Paper. All of the remaining Preparation
Assignments are designed to help you do well on these two assignments. The remaining Preparation
Assignments encourage you to avoid procrastination, begin developing your argument early, get feedback
and make thoughtful revisions.

The revised assignment descriptions are in a folder called “Revised Assignments” in the “Assignment
Descriptions” folder in the “Resources” folder.

Readings:

The Benson and Stoetzer readings provide examples of scholars combining primary interviews, document
analysis and participant observation with scholarly research. I selected them to help you with your
research project.

I had planned for us to go to the Nasher on Friday, April 10th to see Ebony G. Patterson’s exhibit, While
the Dew is Still on the Roses. I have uploaded two poems and a hymn that Patterson thought with while
creating her exhibition as well as links to a two-minute video and the Nasher’s website.

Optional and ungraded forums, blogs and zoom check-ins offer opportunities to discuss and reflect on the
readings. There will be no required assignments to check that you have done the reading.

Grading:

Duke has just transitioned all students to Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grading for the semester. An
S is equivalent to a C- or above. I will calculate your final letter grade as explained in this revised
syllabus and then convert it to a S or U.

I hope that this change will take a little stress out the uncertainty of the rest of the semester.

If you would like to receive a letter grade for the course, you should submit a form to the registrar’s office
by 5:00 pm EST on April 22nd. Please see keeplearning.duke.edu for more details.

Attendance and Participation:

Because we will be in different time zones, with different spaces in which to work and different access to
internet and other technologies, we will not have synchronous online class meetings.

I have reduced the percentage of your final grade based on Preparation and Participation from 20% to
15%. You will earn the final 5% of your final grade by writing a reflection on what you’ve learned about
research and writing in the class. The reflection will be due during the final exam period for the class (see
schedule below).
Our class can offer three optional, ungraded forms of student-to-student communication:

Forums: I have added a “Forum” tool to the Sakai site with threads for each of the remaining readings
and for different steps of the research and writing process. Participation in the Forum is optional and
ungraded. I hope that it will be a space for you to maintain our learning community and to continue to
discuss the readings and your learning process with your classmates. I hope that it will be a way to
continue to share your thoughts and support each other.

Blogs: I have also added a “Blog” tool to the Sakai site. If you wish, you can also post longer writings
about the readings or reflections on your learning as blogs. You can also, for example, chat with a
classmate (or two) about the reading and post the transcript as a blog. One of the key differences between
the blog tool and the forum tool is that you have the option to make your blog posts just visible to me. If
you wish to write reflections for me to see, but not for your classmates to see, blogs provide that option.
Writing blogs is optional and ungraded.

Informal Communication: I encourage you to reach out to your classmates through email, text, and
social media to check in with each other.

As you think about how you can continue to participate in our learning community, please consider both
your own needs and how you can support your classmates. If you are in a living situation that includes
time, space and technology for contributing to our online community, I encourage you to make forum or
blog posts that would be helpful or comforting to your classmates. I encourage you to support your
classmates in the ways that you are able.

Contacting Me

Email: You can email me with your questions. I’ll do my best to respond within 24 hours.
amanda.wetsel@duke.edu

Video, audio or chat conferences: I have added a Zoom to the Sakai site. You can email me (with at
least three possible time slots (with beginning and ending times)) to schedule an audio, video, or written
chat conference through Zoom. Students with limited internet can use a phone to call into a Zoom
meeting or use the written chat feature in Zoom.

Weekly Check-In: I will hold four one-hour weekly optional check-ins via Zoom. These check-ins are
opportunities for us to talk informally as a group about how you are doing and what you are learning.
Everyone in all three sections is invited to participate. Participation is optional and ungraded. You
can join the check-in for as long as you are available (you do not have to participate in the entire hour).
They will not be lectures; they will be a chance for us to get together as a group virtually. They will not
be recorded and reposted on the Sakai site. When appropriate, I will send out announcements to the
whole class with answers to questions that come up. The first Check-In will be Wednesday, March 25
from 3:00-4:00 pm EST.

Resources

I have added a “Handouts” folder to the “Resources” folder on Sakai. The folder contains three kinds of
handouts: 1) handouts from the Duke Writing Studio and Harvard College Writing Center about things
like creating a thesis, reverse outlining, and editing an essay; 2) handouts with discussion questions for
the readings (what I would have distributed in class); and 3) peer-editing handouts. Writing studios at
universities around the country also have handouts that may be useful to you.

Feedback
I encourage you to get the feedback that you need on your remaining assignments. As we’ve discussed in
class, this may mean explaining what you would like feedback on before the person begins to read, asking
follow up questions after receiving feedback, or getting feedback from multiple people.
You will get scheduled feedback from me. You can get feedback from other students in this class, from
other Duke students, from friends from high school (provided that they have not yet graduated from
college), or from siblings/cousins in high school or college. You can also get feedback from Writing
Studio Consultants or tutors assigned through Duke.
However, there are some limits on who you can get feedback from. You cannot get feedback from your
parents/grandparents/guardians/older adult hosts/aunts/uncles, siblings/cousins/friends who have
graduated from college, or from former or current teachers. If you have a question about whether
someone is an appropriate source of feedback for assignments, please ask before you get feedback from
them.
You should maintain ownership of your writing and maintain the line between getting helpful feedback
and letting someone write your paper. Your Research Paper must be your own work. Again, if you have
questions about the distinction, please ask.
Students in the 11:45 and 3:05 sections have the option of consulting with our EWCS, Carmen and
Merrill, once on this assignment. The EWCs will offer synchronous, online meetings. Consulting with
the EWCs is optional.
Late Work

I know we are trying to continue our coursework in challenging circumstances and that circumstances
beyond your control may make it hard to submit assignments. Please try to submit your work on time.
The Revised Course Schedule includes the dates and times by which you can expect to receive feedback
on your assignments if you submit them on time. You will notice that there is often a short period of time
for me to provide feedback on the assignments. Late assignments may receive feedback later; this does
not change the deadline for your next assignment. A classmate or a consultant at the Writing Studio may
be able to provide feedback on late assignments sooner than I will.
Please email me if you have a situation that makes it difficult for you to submit work on time. This is an
uncertain time for all of us, and I will make exceptions to late policies for exceptional situations.
Honor Code
Remember that Duke’s Community Standard demands honesty and honor from us.
 REVISED COURSE SCHEDULE

Week 11: March 16-20

Second Week of Spring Break
Following university guidelines, there will be no class and no assignments due this week.

Week 12: March 23-27

Monday, March 23:

Assignment Due: Research Proposal Final Draft. Due by 10:00 am EST via Sakai.
Note: Unless there is serious issue with your research design, you will only complete one draft of
your Research Proposal. This change is due to the public health crisis and the extended spring break.

Tuesday: 11:00 pm EST: You will receive a grade and brief feedback from me on your Research
Proposals via Sakai.

12.1 Wednesday, March 25:

Reading: Peter Benson. “Giants in the Field: Agribusiness and Farm Labor Politics in the United
States.”
Note: You should be actively conducting your research
3:00-4:00 pm EST: Optional and Ungraded Weekly Check-In

12.2 Friday, March 27:

Reading: Reread Emerson, Fretz and Shaw’s chapter, “Processing Fieldnotes: Coding and
Memoing”
Assignment Due: Data and Analysis Handout 1. Due via Sakai by 5:00 pm EST.

Note: You do not need to have finished all of your data collection. However, it’s useful to
collect as much data as possible as early as possible.
Note: 11:45 and 3:05 classes should sign up with the EWC to discuss your writing. Think
carefully about when you would like this support. EWCs will work with students online. The EWCs will
provide more details about online consulting later. Online EWC consultations are optional. I encourage
the 8:30 class to consider making synchronous online appointments with Writing Studio consultants.
Note: You should be actively conducting your research

Week 13: March 30-April 3

Monday, March 30, 11:00 pm EST: You will receive a grade and very brief comments from me via
Sakai on your Data and Analysis Handout 1.

13.1 Wednesday, April 1:

Reading: Bettina Stoetzer. “Ruderal Ecologies: Rethinking Nature, Migration and the Urban
Landscape in Berlin.”
Note: You should be actively conducting your research
3:00-4:00 pm EST: Optional and Ungraded Weekly Check In
13.2 Friday, April 3:
Reading: Allaine Cerwonka and Lisa Malkki. Improvising Theory (Conclusion)
Assignment Due: Data and Analysis Handout 2. Due by 10:00 am EST via Sakai
Note: You should be actively conducting your research
Feedback: Friday by 11:00 pm EST you will receive feedback from me on your Anthologies
(provided that you submit your Data and Analysis Handout 2 on time).

Sunday, April 5, 11:00 pm EST: You will receive a grade and brief feedback from me via Sakai on
your Data and Analysis Handout 2.

Week 14: April 6-10

14.1 Wednesday, April 8:
Note: You should be actively conducting your research
Note: You should be actively drafting your Research Paper First Draft
Note: I encourage you to get feedback on your Research Paper First Draft from classmates or
from the Writing Studio before you submit it to me.
3:00-4:00 pm EST: Optional and Ungraded Weekly Check In

14.2 Friday, April 10:

Assignment Due: Research Paper First Draft. Due by 5:00 pm EST via Sakai.
Assignment Due: Feedback Handout. Due by 5:00 pm EST via Sakai.

Week 15: April 13-17

Tuesday, April 14:

Note: You will receive feedback from me on your Research Paper First Draft by 11:00 pm via
Sakai. I strongly encourage you to also get feedback from other sources, including classmates, the
EWCs, Writing Studio consultants, and other university students.

15.1 Wednesday, April 15:

Reading: Poems (by Miles,Senior and McKay)
Watch: 2 minute video about Ebony G. Patterson.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4jBbFplJXs
Reading: Nasher website about Ebony G. Patterson Exhibit
https://nasher.duke.edu/exhibitions/ebony-g-patterson-while-the-dew-is-still-on-the-
roses/
3:00-4:00 pm EST: Optional and Ungraded Weekly Check In
Note: Work on your Research Paper Final Draft

15.2 Friday, April 17:

Note: Work on your Research Paper Final Draft

Week 16: April 20-24

15.1 Wednesday, April 22:

Assignment Due: Research Paper Final Draft. Due via Sakai by 11:00 pm EST.
 Exam Week

Thursday, April 30, 2:00 pm EST:

Assignment Due: Reflection on Learning about Research and Writing for the 3:05 Section.

Friday, May 1, 7:00 pm EST:

Assignment Due: Reflection on Learning about Research and Writing for the 8:30 Section.

Saturday, May 2, 2:00 pm EST:

Assignment Due: Reflection on Learning about Research and Writing for the 11:45 Section.

* The different deadlines for this assignment reflect the different exam times for the three sections.
 Revised Grade Distribution

Preparation and Participation: 15 %

You will earn a letter grade for each class meeting based on the quality of your preparation and
participation. The letter grades will be averaged to determine your Preparation and Participation.
Note: Because our class has moved online, Preparation and Participation will constitute a lower
percentage of your final grade for the course (previously it was 20%).

Preparation Assignments: 15 %
You will earn a letter grade for each preparation assignment based on the effort you appear to have put
into the assignment, whether the assignment was submitted on time, and whether the way you completed
the assignment allowed your classmates to learn and participate during class. The letter grades for
assignments will be averaged to determine your Preparation Assignments grade.

Plant Chapter Final Draft: 10 %

You will earn a letter grade for this assignment based on the quality of your written work.

Anthology: 15 %
You will earn a letter grade for this assignment based on the quality of your written work.

Research Proposal Final Draft: 10%

You will earn a letter grade for this assignment based on the quality of your research design and the
clarity of your written expression.

Research Paper Final Draft: 30 %

You will earn a letter grade for this assignment based on the quality of your written work.

Reflection on Learning about Writing and Research: 5%

You will earn a letter grade on this assignment based on the quality of your ideas, the level of
thoughtfulness, and the quality of the written expression.