/LIT2955-HolocaustTripSyllabu

LIT 2955- Holocaust Study Abroad Trip Syllabus Professor Richard A. Gair Summer School Session Summer A, 2011 June 22 to 30 (Trip Dates) Course-Trip Leader- Professor Richard A. Gair Valencia Community College, East Campus, Building 8, Office 132 Direct Phone- 407-582-2641, Home- 407-260-2893, Cell- 609-744-6516 Office Hours (TBA):__________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ rgair@valenciacc.edu http://faculty.valenciacc.edu/rgair My web site will be a valuable resource during the LIT 2174 course as well as in preparation for the trip and completion of projects required after the trip. On the home page just click on the navigation bar where it says HOLOCAUST RESOURCES.

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Educational Materials: Prior to the trip students will be required to attend a number of preplanning meetings and classes. At these classes you will be instructed and engaged in the logistics of the trip as well as academic content relating the LIT 2174 course with the upcoming trip. These hours will count as part of the 37 ½ hours of “Instructional Contact Hours.” Students will preview a packet they will purchase for use during the trip. This packet will be a guideactivity book that will spell out the tasks and assignments they will do at each place we

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Course Description: LIT 2174 or LIT 2174H “Multimedia-Literature of the Holocaust”, will be a pre-or corequisite for this course. Students will be required to have already completed that course in order to be eligible for the Holocaust Study Abroad trip (LIT 2955). With departmental approval a student may take the course (trip) during a summer semester if they also sign up for the course LIT 2174 or LIT 2174 H for the upcoming Fall term at the same time.

The trip will vary in length depending upon the cost in any given year. It will include onsite visits to key sites associated with the Holocaust (e.g. the Warsaw Ghetto, Treblinka, Majdanek, and Krakow, Auschwitz-Birkeneau and possibly the city of Praque and Terezin Concentration Camp). The students will receive 3 (three) elective credits after satisfactory completion of the trip and the academic requirements of the trip. The trip will be coordinated with the Valencia Study Abroad Office and the Communications Department. It will be listed in the Atlas registration system as LIT 2955 as the course identification number. The course will involve at least 37 ½ of what Valencia considers “Instructional Contact Hours” to qualify for the three credits.

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Some important things to consider: 1- Extra pocket money is essential. All meals are not included and personal expenses must be planned for. Also plan for emergency cash especially if there is a medical emergency. Most doctors and hospitals in a foreign country require cash payment and then you submit a claim to get the money back from the insurance company.

This has happened to me, I had to go to the hospital twice when I was in Israel and you should listen to the voice of experience here.

2- There will not be a great deal of free time as we have a very packed and intense itinerary. It will be both physically and emotionally draining and you should get plenty of rest leading up to the trip.

3- You are expected to take part in all activities, there are no optional ones, you may not go off on your own and there will be NO ALCOHOL consumed during the trip.

Make believe for the 8 days you are in a Valencia classroom which is just moving through a foreign country. Your behavior should be no different.

4- Always have a buddy system in place. Preferably this could be your roommate but not required. What is important is that you maintain the buddy system…NOBODY…THAT MEANS NOBODY GOES OFF ON THEIR OWN! You are in a foreign country and you are not familiar with the customs, the services available, the language and the physical area. Stay with the group and stay with a buddy if there is any time where we are not a group (that will be rare).

5- If you have an ATM card that would be great as a source of needed money if the case arises. I usually convert some of my money into American Express Travelers Checks before my trips. I take those, plus some U.S. cash and the ATM card. I then convert some of my cash to the currency of the host country upon arrival at the airport or city (depending on the time of arrival). Then as I need cash in that currency I use my ATM card. My Travelers Checks I keep as an emergency fund and often come back with them unused, having gotten all the needed cash from the ATM as needed.

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visit. It will also indicate what must be turned in within one week after their return to the U.S.A in order to receive a final grade and 3 credits. Students will need a flash drive to store specific files, forms and an electronic file copy of the activity book. All academic and trip related materials will be designed by Professor Gair in coordination with the Study Abroad Office. Students will be required to take along a notebook, journal, the activity booklet compiled by Professor Gair which they will purchase in the bookstore and adequate writing instruments. A backpack and good walking shoes for day trips is essential. A rough-travel copy of the booklet will be issued prior to leaving the United States. Students will be expected to write the responses and essays and other assignments directly in the space provided in the booklet. Realizing that recording while traveling may not result in the neatest notes an electronic copy of the entire booklet will be issued as well. Students will need a flash drive so they can save the file. They will then, upon return home, open that electronic file and word process their answers, essays, etc. in the blank spaces in the electronic copy. This file will then be printed and turned in and the electronic file will also be turned in. Professor Gair will then proceed to bind each student’s book as a remembrance of the trip and their thoughts at the time. If the group prefers Professor Gair will look into the possibility of binding all the booklets into one large publication if we can then get it duplicated and bound reasonably.

6- Advance Activity: At our second orientation meeting you are to form three groups.

Each group will be assigned the task of creating in advance a memorial service to be conducted by the group at one of the three Death Camps we will visit. It could include poems, survivor memoirs, essays by victims-survivors, a memorial candle (Yartzheit) that is lit at the time (small round tea lights are good to use since they are easy to carry), flowers, songs in remembrance to the victims at that camp. It could be readings from a prayer book or from survivors who were actually in that camp. Be prepared for someone to video record this ceremony to be uploaded to You Tube for everyone back home to see. It should last about 5 minutes and you written plan must be submitted to me at our third orientation meeting prior to departure.

7- Do not overpack. Whatever you bring you will carry, there will be no luggage handlers for you in many places, especially on the trains in Poland. One rolling suitcase and one backpack should be enough. If you bring a laptop you are responsible for it. Professor Gair will be bringing his netbook mini computer and a mini video camera.

8- Students will be expected to remain in their designated rooms once we retire for the night. A room check will be made as needed.

Learning Outcomes Expected From Students: The following Learning Outcomes combine the LIT 2174 / H course outcomes as well as those of the Study Abroad Office.

Learners will demonstrate their understanding of the significant Holocaust-related sites through.

Learners will identify the significance of preserving Holocaust-related sites and the creation of memorials to educate future generations.

Learners will interpret, analyze and reflect on the Holocaust as viewed through multiple forms of media.

Learners will express personal reactions to the Holocaust as an example of the human capacity for evil and survival.

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Evaluation-Assessment: Through pre-trip meetings, debriefing sessions after each visit to a concentration camp, post-trip meetings and assignments and projects detailed in the Activity Packet the teacher will design for the trip, students will be graded on the normal Valencia grading scale of A, B, C, D, F. (90-100 –A, 80-89- B, 70-79- C, 60-69- D, and below 60- F). –

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Valencia Core Competencies: As part of Valencia’s philosophy students will be expected to further develop their skills in what Valencia calls “Core Competencies”. These will be developed through instruction, discussion, essays, projects, sharing of experiences, and other means deemed appropriate by the professor-trip leader. These are: THINK VALUE COMMUNICATE ACT

Evaluation will be based on the following types of assessment activities: Behavioral observation by the professor Conversations between you and Professor Gair during the trip. (Related to the Holocaust.)

Group participation and contributions (Ex. Memorial service at each Death Camp) Essays (Part of the activity booklet) Focus group discussions (Ex. Evening debriefings after camp visits) Journal writing Performance or demonstration Projects (Part of the activity booklet) Other assessment techniques used by Professor Gair as needed.

Completion of the activity book AND all post trip forms, essays, evaluations and surveys about the trip.

All written reports and assignments are to follow the standard college format of Times New Roman, 12 point font, double spaced. Research must have the required MLA references.

Classroom Policies: All work related to the trip must be original. Plagiarism is a serious offense. Students are expected to adhere to the Valencia Academic Honesty and Code of Conduct as described in the Valencia Student Handbook. In addition, students will be expected to sign contracts with the Student Development Office, the Study Abroad Office and any other sponsoring agent (including the travel provider) to adhere to the rules described in their respective documents. At all times during the time out of the classroom the students will conduct themselves in a mature manner as public representatives of Valencia community College and the United States. Consumption of alcohol is expressly forbidden during the trip. Students will be required to turn in copies of all related trip forms, applications, and passport by the required due dates.

Disclaimer: Changes to this syllabus and program may be made at the discretion of the professor and the Study Abroad Office.

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***** OSD Students Regarding students with disabilities- Students with disabilities who qualify for academic accommodations must provide a notification from the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) and discuss specific needs with the professor before the trip takes place. The Office for Students with Disabilities will determine needed accommodations based upon appropriate documentation of disabilities.