Week 1
Introductions
Overview of our class goals & approach to learning about Latin America.
Day
Before class
Think About
W 1/11
Introductions
- Read our syllabus & come prepared with questions.
- “What Does it Mean to Think Historically?” Perspectives
- Fill out the student information form.
- Complete our class projects setup checklist.
- What are your goals in taking this class?
- What do you most want to learn?
F 1/13
Latin America Today
- Born in Blood & Fire (BB&F) Ch 1 “Welcome to Latin America” – I uploaded a pdf to Moodle as some of you are waiting on books.
- “Reading Well to Discuss Well“
- Read your choice of news articles about Latin America
- Reading Quiz: Latin America Today
- How does John Charles Chasteen characterize Latin America? What does he define as key characteristics of the region?
- How does Chasteen’s interpretation fit with the current events you read for today?
F 1/13
7:30pm
Caged
- Freelander Theater
- 1 hour, Masks required
- Earn a bonus token (worth a free 48 hour homework extension) by attending this play.
Week 2
Colonialism
To what extent is Latin America shaped by its legacy of colonialism?
Day
Before class
Think About
M 1/16
- How does the urgency of Dr. King’s fight for social justice inform your work this semester?
W 1/18
Pedagogy of the Oppressed
- Liza Featherstone, “Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed at 50“
- MLA Syllabus & Grade Contract
- Jules Schroder “How to Use Your Digital Footprint to Advance Your Career” Forbes (2017)
- Reading Quiz: Freire & Syllabus
By the end of the day:
- Sign up for your LA in the Media date & LA Voices group
- In your own words, what is Paulo Freire’s critique of education?
- How can you employ critical pedagogy in deciding on your course work for this semester?
- How can you use our class projects to demonstrate your skills to future employers?
F 1/20
Colonial Legacies
- BB&F ch 3 “Colonial Legacies” (pdf Moodle)
- Video: “Pride & Anxiety in New Spain” (5 minutes)
- Reading Quiz: Colonial Legacies
- Upload your completed grade contract by 4pm.
- In what ways do the previous three centuries of Iberian colonial rule influence the course of Modern Latin American history?
- What does the video’s analysis of casta paintings reveal about the construction and maintenance of colonial hierarchies of power?
Week 3
Imagining New Nations
What motivated Latin Americans to fight for independence? What were there visions for their new nations?
Day
Before class
Think About
M 1/23
Independence
- BB&F ch 4 “Independence”
- Simón Bolívar “Address at the Congress of Angostura” (1819)
- Reading Quiz: Independence
- Start our Week 3 Wikipedia trainings – you can complete them any time before Friday.
- What were the most important political and economic aspirations of Latin Americans fighting for independence?
- In what specific ways did gender, race, and social status shape individuals’ aspirations for the newly independent nations of Latin America?
W 1/25
Caudillos & Patronage
- BB&F ch 5 “Post-Colonial Blues”
- Problems in Latin American History ch IV “Caudillos” ebook link
- Reading Quiz: Postcolonial Blues
- What features characterize caudillos? What does their prevalence in the post-independence era suggest about Latin American societies?
- How and why have historians’ analyses of caudillos changed over time?
F 1/27
Travel Accounts
Map Quiz in class
- Jennifer Hayward, “Latin America“
- Travelogues Project
- Sign up for your travelogue
- Make sure you’ve completed the Week 3 Wikipedia Trainings.
- What do we need to know about travelogues to use them as primary sources?
- In what ways do they reflect the biases and assumptions of their authors and audience?
Week 4
“Progress”
What future did Latin Americans envision for themselves in the late 19th century? How did they measure their achievements?
Day
Before class
Think About
M 1/30
Progress
- BB&F ch 6 “Progress”
- Michael Johns “From Field to Port” (4 pages)
- Oyarzún and Vera “Portraying & Planning a City” (4 pages)
- Reading Quiz: Progress
- How did “progress” become a hegemonic idea in Latin America, and what were the consequences?
- What roles did new technologies play in these historical changes?
- How can we use maps as sources?
W 2/1
Race & Racial Identities
- Problems in Modern Latin America ch VI: “Race & Nation Building” Link to Wooster library ebook
- What about these late 19th and early 20th century ideas of a “scientific” basis for racial hierarchies was so appealing to many Latin Americans of European descent?
- What problems did these pseudo-scientific ideas raise for conceptions of national identity?
F 2/3
Digital Projects Work Day
Travelogue Project Due (we’ll upload in class).
- Bring your laptop, polished 3-paragraph Travelogue text with citations/sources, an image, and the 2-sentence Wikipedia text.
By the end of the day
- What strengths do you bring to your group project?
- What will you do to improve your experiences working collaboratively?
Week 5
Neocolonialism
How did foreign investors – collaborating with Latin American elites – shape Latin American politics and society?
Day
Before class
Think About
M 2/6
Rural Neocolonialism
- BB&F ch 7 “Neocolonialism”
- Biography: “Juan Esquivel: Cotton Plantation Tenant“
- Write a forum post sharing your initial research project ideas – and start looking for a good Wikipedia option to work on.
- Reading Quiz: Neocolonialism
- In your own words, what is Neocolonialism? How did it impact the lives of rural and urban Latin Americans?
- In what ways does Juan Esquivel’s life exemplify the consequences of rural development and neocolonialism described in your text?
W 2/8
Workshop: Your Research Project
- Wikipedia “What is a Content Gap?”
- Write a forum post analyzing a Wikipedia article related to your research interests that needs further development.
- Self-Evaluation of Participation #1
- What resources will be helpful in finding scholarly sources for your project? Primary sources?
- What are some strategies for finding a good Wikipedia article to work on?
F 2/10
Urban Neocolonialism
- How does the presence of formerly marginalized social groups fulfilling new economic roles transform urban life? What conflicts emerge?
Week 6
Nationalism
How did some Latin Americans push for greater determination? Fight to re-structure their societies?
Day
Before class
Think About
W 2/15
Nationalism
- BB&F ch 8 “Nationalism”
- Start reading Azuela’s novel The Underdogs for discussion Friday
- Reading Quiz: Nationalism
- Research Forum Post: Updated Topic Ideas + Sources
- What political, social, and economic factors explain the rise in nationalist governments in Latin America?
F 2/17
The Mexican Revolution
- Azuela’s The Underdogs
- Please bring your copy to class for discussion.
- Sign up for your Wikipedia Article – if your proposal isn’t on the list, just let me know!
- By the end of the day: please complete your week 6 grade contract reflection.
- What are the central themes of Azuela’s novel?
- How does Azuela use his characters to convey his historical perspective on the conflict?
Week 7
Revolution
Day
Before class
Think About
M 2/20
Populism
- Problems, ch VIII: Populism CoW Ebook Link
- What appeals did Latin American populists make to appeal to newly enfranchised citizens?
- Looking at these sources, you think populists were heroes for the working class, or authoritarians mainly concerned with their own political power? Why?
W 2/22
Revolution
- BB&F ch 9 “Revolution”
- Reading Quiz: Revolution
- What were the goals of Latin American revolutionaries in the 50s and 60s? What structural changes did they hope to make?
- How and why did the U.S.’s relationship with Latin America change after World War II?
F 2/24
Project Work Day
- On your Wikipedia article’s talk page, create a new heading to introduce your proposed edits. Write a few sentences about what you plan to contribute and why these additions are important.
- Finish any remaining work on your Prospectus and upload it before 4pm.
- Think back to our discussions of content gaps, Wikipedia’s 5 Pillars, and the American Historical Association article.
- In what ways will you address content gaps on Wikipedia?
Week 8
Topic
Day
Before class
Think About
M 2/27
The Motorcycle Diaries
- Motorcycle Diaries Viewing Guide
- Think through your classmates’ discussion questions.
W 3/1
US Cold War Policy
- “Statements of U.S. Foreign policy” 237-242 COW Ebook link
- “The Lesser of Two Evils” 242-247 COW Ebook Link
- How has U.S. political strategy towards Latin America changed over time?
- How did the U.S. see Latin America in a Cold War context?
F 3/3
Social REvolutions
- Maya Jiménez, “International Style architecture in Mexico and Brazil,” from Smarthistory
- Problems, ch 6 “Social Revolutions” Ebook link
Wikipedia First Draft Due
- Share your complete first draft on the “live” Wikipedia article before class.
- Create a Wikipedia Draft forum post on Moodle.
- How do you define a revolutionary movement?
- What major social, political, and economic issues do these revolutionaries identify?
- How do they seek to resolve these problems?
Sun 3/5
Wikipedia Peer Review
By noon on Sunday:
- Share your peer review by posting your “Reply” to your assigned classmates’ forum posts to share your helpful, specific comments.
- How does your peer’s work improve representation of Latin American history on Wikipedia?
- Do they meet all assignment specifications?
Week 9
Post-Revolutionary Cuba
Day
Before class
Think About
M 3/6
I Am Cuba
- Consider your classmates’ discussion questions.
W 3/8
Workshop: Pecha Kucha
- Read the Pecha Kucha Specifications
- Self-Evaluation of Participation #2
- What kinds of visual evidence will help strengthen your communication of your research?
Spring Break!
Week 10
State-Sponsored Terror
Day
Before class
Think About
M 3/27
Transnational Activism
- Democracy Now “The Young Lords” (26 minutes)
- What are the political goals of the Young Lords members interviewed here?
- What connections do you see between this Latino youth political movement and protests in Latin America?
W 3/29
State-Sponsored Terror
- BB&F ch 10 “Reaction”
- Augusto Pinochet “Military Decrees on Seizing Power,” (1973)
- Reading Quiz: Reaction
- How did the Cold War fit into the longer history of U.S. relationships with Latin America?
- How would you explain the development of anti-communist alliances between Latin American leaders and the U.S.?
F 3/31
Clandestine Childhood
- Consider your peers’ discussion questions.
Sun 4/2
Pecha Kucha Draft
- Upload your draft by 4pm (FIRM! – no Tokens can be used)
- Share whatever you have – even if just a rough outline!
- You will get full credit for peer review if you upload SOMETHING.
Week 11
Transitions to Democracy
Day
Before class
Think About
M 4/3
Transitions to Democracy
- #MemoriasSituadas – take a look at the “Historical Process” & “Memorial Process”
- What is “official” history?
- How are official national narratives created and reinforced?
W 4/5
Neoliberalism & Beyond
- Complete your 2 Pecha Kucha peer reviews.
- BB&F ch 11: “Neoliberalisms & Beyond”
- Reading Quiz: Neoliberalism
- Who benefits from Neoliberal policies? Who is harmed?
- How have these polices affected the lives of people in Latin America?
F 4/7
The Chambermaid
- Come prepared to talk through your classmates’ discussion questions.
Week 12
Latin American Identities
Day
Before class
Think About
M 4/10
Evangelical Politics
- Brazil on Fire Podcast Episode 3 “God Above Everyone” (30 minutes)
- By the end of the day: MLA Week 11 Grade Contract Check In
- What factors explain the growth of Evangelical belief and institutions in Latin America since the 60s?
- How have Bolsonaro’s supporters transformed Brazilian politics?
W 4/12
Transnational Identities
- Bad Bunny “El Apagón” is a documentary within a music video ( 23 minutes – use the settings to reveal English subtitles starting around 4:30)
By the end of the Day
- What is the documentary’s central message?
- How can our study of Latin America help you better understand recent political and economic struggles in Puerto Rico?
- How does Bad Bunny perform his Puerto Rican identity?
F 4/14
Queen of Lapa
- Come prepared to talk through your classmates’ discussion questions.
Week 13
Student Research
Day
Before class
Think About
M 4/17
Presentations Day 1
- Jack “Brazilian Comics”
- Gavin “Argentine Coup d’État“
- Jay “Dance of the 41“
- Noah C “Education in El Salvador“
- Brianna, “Feminism in Mexico“
- If you are not presenting today, share at least two discussion questions.
- What is the most interesting thing you learned from today’s presentations?
W 4/19
Presentations Day 2
- Tim “Soccer in Buenos Aires“
- Ana “Abortion in Chile“
- Nico “Forced Sterilization in Peru“
- Case “Valparaíso, Chile“
- Sophie “La Adelita“
- If you are not presenting today, share at least two discussion questions.
- What connections do you see between your research and that of your peers?
Week 14
Student Research
Day
Before class
Think About
M 4/24
Student Presentations
- Noah L, “Agrarian Land Reform in Perú“
- Ezra “Indigenous Music of the Yucatan Peninsula”
- Flynn “The Relationship between Colonialism and Geography in Venezuela“
- Ryan “Stained Glass in Latin America“
- George “Women’s Involvement in the Cuban Revolution“
- If you are not presenting today, share at least two discussion questions.
- What is the most interesting thing you learned from today’s research presentations?
W 4/26
Student Presentations
Final Project Planning
- Share your project plans to Moodle.
Watch before class:
- Dama “Indigenous Participation in Chilean Land Reform“
- Memphis “
- Hades “The Origin of Atole”
- Yatzari “Traditional Mexican Clothing“
- If you are not presenting today, share at least two discussion questions.
- What questions do you have after watching today’s presentations?
F 4/28
Workshop: Final Projects
Bring your laptop to class for this hands-on workshop.
- What topic will you pick for your final project?
- How can you demonstrate your knowledge about Latin America & your skillful use of public history communication?
Week 15
Latin America Today
Description
Day
Before class
Think About
M 5/1
Latin America Today
- Please bring your computer for course evaluations.
- What are the most important things you’ve learned this semester?
Tues 5/2
OPTIONAL: Final Project Draft Feedback
- If you’d like feedback on your final project draft, please share your work-in-progress on Moodle by noon today. (Firm deadline)
- How does your final project demonstrate your mastery of class learning goals? Your fulfillment of the assignment specifications?
Final Exam Period:
Monday, May 8 at 4:00pm
- Before our exam period, upload your final project + memo to Moodle, and add your slide to our Google Slideshow (linked from Moodle).
- If you are creating a video, upload it to our class final projects stream.