FR 376x - Colby College

2009 – 2010 Review of the Academic Curriculum at Colby College
Course Level Review by Faculty
As part of this year’s College-wide review of the curriculum, each faculty member at Colby is
being asked to complete the following exercise for the courses you are teaching this semester.
Please type your answers directly in this MS Word document and submit an electronic copy to
Michael Donihue ([email protected]). Your submission will become part of an
electronic resource that documents the mission statements and curricular offerings of each
department and program at Colby. This resource will be used to facilitate curricular planning and
evaluation of the academic program at the College.
Instructor: Audrey Brunetaux
Course: FR 376 « Shadows of the Past »
Learning Goals and Outcomes
a) Describe the goals and expected outcomes you have for your students’ learning in this
course.
French culture was deeply touched by the Holocaust and the Nazi occupation from 194044. If the war left traces in literature, it also left an indelible mark on the French national
psyche. How do the French remember the “Dark Years”? How do Holocaust survivors
portray their personal anguish as they reconstruct the horror they experienced? How
should one represent the Holocaust without undermining its horror?
This course will explore how writers, filmmakers, and artists remember and represent the
Nazi Occupation and the Holocaust. Discussions and group activities will focus on a
variety of documentary and narrative sources—historical documents, Holocaust memoirs,
films, graphic novels, poems, and oral testimonies. Theoretical essays on Holocaust
representation, memory, and trauma will complement your readings.
In this intensive course taught in the target language, students acquire the skills to
interpret and critique different modes of thinking and writing through the reading and
analysis of various French texts/narratives. Discussions, debates, and lectures are
supplemented with meetings with Holocaust survivors and visits to Holocaust memorials
that complement the course material and prepare students for active engagement.
You will find below the description in French that was included in the syllabus:
« Comme le souligne si justement Viviane Forrester, l’Histoire de France ne serait-elle pas
une Histoire amnésique, soucieuse d’oublier l’invasion allemande de 1940, la collaboration,
les déportations, la Shoah et l’antisémitisme du régime de Vichy ? La France de l’aprèsguerre tenta, en vain, d’effacer de sa mémoire ce passé honteux. Si la Seconde Guerre
mondiale laissa une empreinte indélébile dans la mémoire collective française, elle laissa de
profondes séquelles chez les survivants, garants d’un « passé qui ne passe pas ». Ecrivains,
cinéastes et artistes se sont efforcés de redonner à « ces ombres du passé » la place qui
leur revient. Par des analyses approfondies d’œuvres littéraires et filmiques, nous
explorerons les modes de représentation utilisés par chaque auteur(e)/cinéaste pour relater
les événements tragiques de l’Occupation et de la Shoah. Comment les Français abordent-ils
les « Années Noires » ? Pourquoi taire les événements tragiques de l’Occupation au sortir de
la guerre ? Le langage et l’écriture ont-ils permis aux survivants d’entreprendre un travail de
deuil ? Comment gérer un passé qui ne s’efface pas ? Peut-on représenter la Shoah sans
See http://www.colby.edu/academics_cs/resources/offices/deanoffaculty/assessment.cfm for helpful
resources and additional examples.
2009 – 2010 Review of the Academic Curriculum at Colby College
Course Level Review by Faculty
diminuer son horreur ? Ces questions et bien d’autres viendront étayer notre réflexion sur la
France de Vichy et son rôle dans l’extermination juive.
Une variété de textes et documents –documents historiques, mémoires sur la Shoah, films,
bande dessinée, et témoignages oraux—seront le point de départ de nos discussions en
classe. Des essais critiques sur les problèmes de représentation, sur le fonctionnement de
la mémoire et du traumatisme fourniront les bases nécessaires à la compréhension des
textes. Ils vous permettront également de renforcer vos connaissances théoriques ainsi que
vos acquis sur la France de Vichy et la Shoah. »
b) Explain how these learning goals and outcomes are communicated to your students (e.g.,
catalogue course descriptions, course syllabus, web page, instructions on homework or
project assignments, exam review sessions).
The course description and the assignments for the semester are posted on line via
“Moodle”. Students must check the website on a weekly basis. The syllabus gives a dayto-day description of what students need to prepare before class and what concepts will
be covered in class.
c) Describe the methods you use for evaluating the success of your students in attaining each
of these learning goals (e.g., exams, homework, rubrics for essays or papers, group projects,
rubrics for class presentations, exhibits, peer review, interviews).
Final exam: 1
Graded homework assignments: Weekly reading guides on Holocaust narratives and films
Oral presentation: 1
Writing assignments (describe): 3 response papers (4 pages each) & 1 final research paper
(10 pages or more)
Required to attend 2 screenings of the French Film Series offered by the Department of
French & Italian: “War, Representation, and Memory.”
d) For particular components and assignments in this course, explain how you make the
connection between these methods of evaluation and the goals and outcomes you have for
your students’ learning in this course.
These assignments will improve students’ oral and writing skills while deepening their
understanding of Holocaust literature and Vichy France. With respect to the papers,
students are asked to write about diverse topics related to the Holocaust and their written
work is a good measure of their ability to express themselves in the target language while
developing the skills to interpret and critique. By underscoring the importance of oral
practice through presentations and daily participation, students become more aware of
this aspect of the language and work to become more fluent and articulate. Every written
work is graded with detailed comments on what students did well and what they need to
improve. These comments offer feedback, an important learning tool for students.
Pedagogy, Curricular Content, and Course Mechanics
See http://www.colby.edu/academics_cs/resources/offices/deanoffaculty/assessment.cfm for helpful
resources and additional examples.
2009 – 2010 Review of the Academic Curriculum at Colby College
Course Level Review by Faculty
a) If this course satisfies one or more of Colby’s area distribution requirements, explain using
specific examples how the content of this course meets the definition of that area
requirement.
International Diversity: This course will focus on race and gender with regard to the
Holocaust.
Literature: This course will explore literary texts and films. Students will read and
analyze a great variety of Holocaust narratives.
b) If there is a writing component to this course, describe the pedagogy and role of the writing
assignments in the context of your learning goals and expected outcomes.
•
Students prepare short response papers for each class. They have to develop their
answers and convey ideas in a clear and concise way. They are worth 100 points
each.
•
1 paper will explore 2 films from the Film Series (the student’s paper should focus
on ONE aspect of the films that they found interesting, shocking or thoughtprovoking. Students should not summarize the film but analyze it! They have to
make sure not to repeat what we said in class and to write an outline before they
start writing. The Film Series starts the second week of classes. They should
attend 2 sessions. No exceptions.
•
2 papers about the memoirs/films studied in class. They should analyze critically
the text. A list of topics is available.
•
The final exam will cover every memoir/comic, film, article and concept studied in
class. It will include an essay, a text and a photograph/poster analysis. Students
are expected to cite the articles read for this class to support and develop their
ideas.
•
Research paper (several stages)
Title of the research paper (in the form of a question) + a detailed
bibliography including 8 sources (internet sources are UNACCEPTABLE;
students should use peer-reviewed and scholarly materials – general websites
like Wikipedia are not acceptable citation material.)
For each source listed, write a short paragraph describing the relevance of this source for
your research + the main thesis of your source. 5%
Developed outline (this part is crucial for their research; it enables them to
structure their thoughts and ideas. They have to write a paragraph for each
part and include a complete introduction - announce their thesis in the
introduction- and conclusion. They write 2 sentences to show their transitions
See http://www.colby.edu/academics_cs/resources/offices/deanoffaculty/assessment.cfm for helpful
resources and additional examples.
2009 – 2010 Review of the Academic Curriculum at Colby College
Course Level Review by Faculty
between each paragraph.). They can use bullet points to format their outline.
5%
First draft (they should give their first draft to the French Teaching Assistant,
so that she can underline their grammatical mistakes. This is their
responsibility to correct their mistakes before turning in their final draft.)
Final draft They are expected to turn in both the first and final drafts corrected
by the TA. I compare the versions. Students lose points if they have not taken
into consideration what the TA said and if they have not revised their first
draft. 15%
c) If there is a presentation or other oral communication component to this course, describe
the pedagogy and role of these exercises in the context of your learning goals and expected
outcomes.
Participation:
Participation is essential in this class. Students receive a participation grade every week (out of
10 points). Students have to structure their thoughts and use the target language to express
their opinions about the films and narratives we study in class. They have to find a solid
argument to support their ideas.
Oral presentation (15-20 minutes) in French:
They analyze one excerpt from a text/film studied in class. Their presentation should be well
structured. I give them the topic/theme a week in advance. Their presentation should trigger
class discussions (every student should be active and prepare questions). They have to engage
their peers into the discussion when they are done presenting their analysis.
d) If your course has a maximum enrollment, prerequisites, priority for enrollment, or other
‘rules,’ explain the underlying rationale for each.
By limiting enrollment, students will have the opportunity to express themselves in French
more often; the goal of this course is to enable the students to approach literary texts and
films critically while developing their communication skills in French.
Institutional Context
a) Explain how this course contributes to the learning goals and expected outcomes of your
department or program.
This course will enable students to learn more about French history, culture and Holocaust
literature. It is interdisciplinary as it focuses on memoirs, oral testimonies, historical
documents, comics, films, and photographs.
See http://www.colby.edu/academics_cs/resources/offices/deanoffaculty/assessment.cfm for helpful
resources and additional examples.
2009 – 2010 Review of the Academic Curriculum at Colby College
Course Level Review by Faculty
b) Explain how this course contributes to the institutional learning goals and expected
outcomes embodied by the educational precepts in The Colby Plan.
Students learn to think critically and interpret French texts, films, and historical
documents while improving their language skills. This interdisciplinary course also enables
them to expand their knowledge of the French culture.
c) Based on your responses above, provide a revised course description suitable for catalogue
copy, using no more than 650 characters, that succinctly identifies the content of this
course, the most important learning goals and expected outcomes, and (if appropriate)
indicates how it fulfills one or more of the area distribution requirements.
The Holocaust and the Nazi occupation left an indelible mark on the
French national psyche. How do the French remember the "Dark Years"
(1940-44)? How do Holocaust survivors portray their personal anguish
as they reconstruct the horror they experienced? This interdisciplinary course
explores how writers, filmmakers, and artists represent the Holocaust. Through
discussions, presentations, and written assignments students acquire the skills to critique
and interpret historical documents, Holocaust memoirs, and films. Students develop and
improve their language skills while deepening their understanding of French History and
culture. Meetings with Holocaust survivors and visits to Holocaust memorials complement
the course material and engage students in active thinking.
See http://www.colby.edu/academics_cs/resources/offices/deanoffaculty/assessment.cfm for helpful
resources and additional examples.