GS 1181: Sports and American Culture
MW 12:00-12:50
This course is an 8 week, 1 credit hour course
Instructor: Dr. John Wegner
Office: Lib 203
Contact information: 942-2566; [email protected]; SKYPE: john.wegner4
Student contact hours: --“If all the year were playing holidays, / To sport would be as tedious as work.” (William
Shakespeare)
“Fanaticism? No. Writing is exciting / and baseball is like writing.” (Marianne Moore)
“Football combines the two worst things about America: it is violence punctuated by committee
meetings.” (George Will)
Required materials:
• Email and internet: You have access to both as ASU students. If you have not activated
your ASU email account, do so.
• Electronic calendar: You have access to google calendar via your ASU email. Be
prepared to use it.
• Course Packet (available in Blackboard)
• If you do not have a personal computer (desk top or laptop) in your dorm room, let me
know. As students at ASU, you have access to computer labs on campus and you can
check out laptops for use in the library.
Texts:
There is no text to purchase for this course. Students are responsible, however, for the following:
1. Course Packet (This packet will have a variety of articles.)
2. Students should access at least two the following web sites/blog pages daily. As you read
the columns or watch the videos, think beyond the play by play. What implications are
there for the course? Focus your attention on commentary and analysis and less on who
scored what. On our first day, I will explain exactly what you need to do when you read
through these pages.
Business Insider: http://www.businessinsider.com/sportspage
Slate Magazine: http://www.slate.com/articles/sports.html
Sports Central: http://www.sports-central.org/sports/nfl/
Grantland: http://www.grantland.com/
The library has a subscription to the paper copies of the Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, and
Referee. You can also read and report on articles from those hard copy magazines.
Prerequisites and skills required:
1. You must be an athlete in the football program at ASU.
2. You must possess a willingness to utilize the Academic Support Services at Angelo State
University: Tutoring and Supplement Instruction is available free of charge for many
courses at Angelo State University. For more information, please visit the SMART
webpage at http://www.angelo.edu/dept/smart/
3. The ability to email and use web based search engines.
Course Description and Purpose:
The will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital.
Joe Paterno
All incoming college students must adjust to the increased academic expectations and the newfound freedom associated with a university setting. College athletes have the extra responsibility
of adjusting to increased athletic responsibilities in addition to the academic requirements. Our
goal is to help each of you prepare for those demands by giving you some specific skill sets that
will help you prepare for success.
We will develop these skill sets by applying them to a discussion of sports and American culture.
Sports are deeply embedded in all cultures beyond highlight reels or win and loss records. Every
major newspaper in the country has a sports page, more people watch the Super Bowl than vote
in presidential elections, and on any given Saturday over 100,000 people will show up to watch
the University of Michigan play football. When you make a mistake, someone might tell you
“You’re way off base”; You can have “the ball in your court” or “be the front runner” unless you
get “blind-sided.” The list of sports idioms is long and part of our culture. Our goal is to focus on
some larger skill sets you need as a college student (written communication, oral
communication, and information literacy) within the context of sports. The application of those
skills here will help you apply these same skills in all your college classes.
Course Objectives:
• Developing skill in expressing oneself orally and in writing
• Learning to analyze and critically evaluate ideas, arguments, and points of view
Student Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of USTD 1181: Sports and American Culture, student will be able to
• summarize and evaluate information;
• follow a process for written and oral communication;
Student Learning Assessment:
Student learning will be assessed via course projects, quizzes, exams, and daily assignments.
Attendance:
You are responsible for all the material covered in class and in the Blackboard course site.
Students who miss class must contact me within 12 hours by email with a written explanation
and you must contact a class member to get a course update.
Academic Honesty:
Angelo State University expects its students to maintain complete honesty and integrity in their
academic pursuits. Students are responsible for understanding the Academic Honor Code, which
is contained in both print and web versions of the Student Handbook. In essence, the willingness
to cheat undermines our purpose at the university. Students who cheat risk failing the course.
Student Responsibilities:
• Be prepared for class by reading the material and participating in class discussions;
• Complete the homework assignments;
• Attend class each day and take notes;
• Seek help when necessary.
Grades and Assignments:
Daily Assignments:
25%
1. Fish Bowl (discussion of web/course packet readings)
2. Quizzes
3. Class participation
Oral Presentation
70%
1. 5 minute, focused oral presentation that includes visual aid (see assignment sheet)
2. Summary/Reflection/Abstract
Final Exam
5%
(Rubrics for assignments are available in Blackboard)
Faculty Lecture Series
The Faculty Lecture Series gives first-year students an opportunity to interact with leading
members of our faculty—scholars, scientists, and civic leaders who are nationally renowned.
Freshman Seminar students will be required to attend one of the offered lectures, each designed
to create a campus-wide conversation. Students will attend and be responsible for producing a
written document reflecting on the speaker’s presentation.
Students with Disabilities:
• Angelo State University is committed to the principle that no qualified individual with a
disability shall, on the basis of disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied
the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of the university, or be subjected to
discrimination by the university, as provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990 (ADA), the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA),
and subsequent legislation.
• Student Contact: The Student Life Office is the designated campus department charged
with the responsibility of reviewing and authorizing requests for reasonable
accommodations based on a disability, and it is the student’s responsibility to initiate
such a request by contacting the Student Life Office, Room 112 University Center, at
(325) 942-2191 or (325) 942-2126 (TDD/FAX) or by e-mail at [email protected]
to begin the process.
Student absence for observance of religious holy days
“A student who intends to observe a religious holy day should make that intention known in
writing to the instructor prior to the absence.”
Course Calendar (Students should be prepared to enter the Fish Bowl every day): Classes start
promptly and last 50 minutes.
Wk 1/day 1 (M)
Wk 1/day 2 (W)
Wk 2/day 3 (M)
Wk 2/day 4 (W)
Wk 3/day 5 (M)
Wk 3/day 6 (W)
Wk 4/day 7 (M)
Wk 4/day 8 (W)
Wk 5/day 9 (M)
Wk 5/day 10 (W)
Wk 6/day 11 (M)
Wk 6/day 12 (W)
Wk 7/day 13 (M)
Wk 7/day 14 (W)
Wk 8/day 15 (M)
Wk 9/day 16 (W)
Syllabus; course introduction; Writers Resume
Small group fish bowl (peer evaluation using rubric); discussion of oral
presentation skills and summarizing information
Discuss research/information literacy/using the library resources
Content discussion; introduce summarizing
2 library resources identified (2 articles); discuss peer review/scholarly
articles/popular press
Content discussion; Students will bring one peer-reviewed article to class;
discussion of the article (small groups); introduce Blackboard basics
Summary (as a blog in Blackboard) of peer-reviewed article due --250
words); discuss developing research skills/analysis/evaluation of sources
Student conferences with professor--prior to Wk 5/day 9 students will meet
individually with professor for a 5 minute discussion of oral
presentation/course progress
Review academic progress/GPA calculations/Academic support services;
Blog response to Faculty Lecture Series
Small group fish bowl (peer evaluation using rubric); class discussion course
content
Course content; Review oral presentation skills/assignment
Written summary/abstract for oral presentation due; class discussion of
analysis oral presentations
Oral Presentations
Oral Presentations
Oral Presentations;
Final Exam (in class writing exam)
Course assignments briefly explained:
The Fish Bowl:
Fish Bowl grades are part of the student’s daily assignments and contribute to class participation
grades. The Fish Bowl allows you the opportunity to practice the skills required for the larger
projects in the course.
Goals and Objectives:
• Develop reading, communication, and presentation skills;
• Encourage critical thinking, including synthesis, summary, and analysis;
Student Learning Outcomes:
Upon completing the Fish Bowl assignments, students will be able to
• Select articles and videos appropriate to the course material
• Summarize and analyze a variety of written and oral materials
• Demonstrate a connection between sports and American culture
• Conceptualize research topics for further inquiry
• Communicate information appropriate to audience and purpose
Instructions:
Each class day, students will arrive having read or viewed the appropriate materials (from either
the course packet or the web based magazines) and be prepared to deliver a short, one to three
minute presentation discussing the text or video. Some Fish Bowls will take place in small group
settings.
In essence, each class day students are responsible for
1. choosing an article or video from one of the assigned magazines and providing the title,
date, and relevant bibliographical information;
2. summarizing the article, noting the article’s thesis and main discussion points;
3. noting the article’s connection to previous articles the student has read or articles the
class has discussed;
4. listing 3 possible research topics related to this article;
5. asking a question that sparks discussion;
Fish Bowls will be completed in small groups. After each presentation, the other group members
will complete the Fish Bowl peer evaluation rubric.
Oral Presentations (end of semester):
Oral presentations will be 5 minutes long and include 1-5 powerpoint-type slides. The
presentation will include one slide with a minimum of 2 sources (1 peer reviewed/scholarly
source and 1 popular press).
Written assignments:
Students will produce a summary/abstract/proposal related to the oral presentation topic. Blog
assignments should be treated as formal academic writing. Students unfamiliar with Blackboard
and needing assistance should contact the professor.