Texts
Alonso, Rosalyn Queen. Arrivederci: Customs and Recipes
Every Italian Girl Takes From Home. Clarksburg, WV:
Rosalyn Queen Alonso, 2006.
Marano, Russell. Poems from a Mountain Ghetto. Webster
Springs, WV: Back Fork Books, 1979.
*Vellaccio, Lydia and Maurice Elston. Teach Yourself
Italian. Blacklick, OH: McGraw- Hill, 2003.
*Wild, Fiona, Project Editor. Eyewitness Travel to
Italy. New York: DK Publishing, Inc., 2006.
Olmi, Ermanno. The Tree of Wooden Clogs. (Film that
looks at rural Italian peasant life at the turn of the
century)
The Italian Hour. WTCS Radio AM 1490 and WRLF Radio FM
94.3, Sunday 10:00 a.m.to 1:00 p.m. (Fantasia
Broadcasting Inc. Total Italian music and cultural
perspective)
Heritage Calabria Association
http://www.heritagecalabria.it/english/index.asp?page=home
The National Italian American Foundation
http://www.niaf.org
West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival
http://www.wvihf.com
Course Goals/Objectives/ Learning Outcomes
Following completion of this course and Study Abroad
program students will be able to:
• Identify major components of Italian culture and
history both traditional and classical.
• Compare and contrast the major regions of Italy.
• Converse in the Italian language.
• Analyze the unique similarities between Appalachia and
Italia, especially “mezzogiorno” (southern Italy)
through research, critical, and creative skill
development.
• Acquire an enhanced awareness of the role of Italian
immigrants into the West Virginia regional culture
during the early 20th century.
• Develop an increased respect for cultural diversity
and literacy through research and Study Abroad.
• Share travel learning experiences with larger
audiences through post travel dialogues, curriculum
development, and presentations.
• Develop a life long attitude toward learning through
travel and cultural interaction.
Assessment
(1) Three written responses on content presented from
texts and films ( 20 points total)
Students will create a three page response paper for
each resource listed below. Content should include
personal reactions and observations, as well as critical
and comparative analyses.
• Alonso, Rosalyn Queen. Arrivederci: Customs and
Recipes Every Italian Girl Takes From Home. (For this
assignment students will choose from the Wayland D. Hand
classification of customs and beliefs found on pages
156-158 at least ten components. Using this selection,
students will illustrate the concept with examples from
the reading and from their individual life/cultural
experiences.) (due date, February 15)
• Marano, Russell. Poems from a Mountain Ghetto. (
Students will read this collection of poetic writings by
Clarksburg/Glen Elk native Marano. Students will then
analyze these poems in regard to the attitudes held by
the Italian immigrants toward the “Ghetto” and the “otherside.”
The analysis should also include the attitudes held by
the “otherside” toward the Italian immigrants to America
in general and Clarksburg’s Glen Elk in particular.)(due
date March 22)
• Olmi, Ermanno. The Tree of Wooden Clogs. (After
viewing this film students will identify the represented
elements of folklife [storytelling, music,
festival/celebrations, customs, agricultural
traditions/sharecropping, material culture] and compare
these examples with historic and contemporary
Appalachian folklife.) (due date April 19)
(2) Two-part Journal (20 points total)
Course Journal composed of responses to readings, films,
class discussions and presentations, lectures, and other
radio listenings, as well as questions or issues to be
studied during the actual Study Abroad. Journal should
be kept on a weekly basis and will be reviewed by your
instructors at the end of the course.
Travel Journal composed of observations, information,
data, anecdotes, and stories collected during travel, as
well as thoughts and feelings about the Study Abroad
experience. Journal will be individually reviewed during
the travel.
(3) Course Presentations (team or individual) (30 points
total)
Shared brief introduction followed by a 40-minute
presentation/discussion from presenter(s), closing with
a brief period of shared questions and answers.
Presentation should be accompanied by a handout on major
topics and issues covered, supported by visual material
(maps, internet materials, posters, power point, films,
etc. on chosen topic important to the Study Abroad).
(This entire presentation MUST be limited to no more
than one hour).
Content for the presentations will include
regions/cities or cultural elements of northern and
southern Italy to be experienced on the Study Abroad.
Both of these categories are outlined in the attached
course weekly schedule. The following content will guide
the presentations:
Regions/Cities (Presentations made by undergraduate
scholarship students)
Presenters should discuss topics of interest concerning
the regions/cities, such as location, topography,
climate, major landmarks, significant thumbnail history,
famous citizens (past and present), cityscape design,
arts and foods specialties, traditional
celebrations/feast days, shopping possibilities,
cuisine, and entertainment/ night life.
Cultural Content (Presentations made by GEARUP teachers)
Presenters should discuss the specifics of the chosen
topic emphasizing both the historical/ contemporary and
the classical and traditional where applicable
Food/Culinary (Presentations made by culinary students)
Presenters will work in teams, under the direction of
Chef Floyd, and will make six culinary related
presentations complete with tasting experiences.
(4) Midterm and Final written reviews/assessment (10
points total)
(5) Follow-up Study Abroad Projects (20 points total)
Scholarship Students
This presentation is a 30-45 minute discussion of some
topic encountered during the Study Abroad that would
interest public school students, college age audiences,
or adults. Materials should be carefully organized
around some guiding principle and developed by means of
ideas and evidence, such as those collected in the
journals or class presentations. Speech should be
supported by artifacts collected during the Study Abroad
travels (photographs, slides, films, or posters), though
these should be subordinated to the discussion itself.
It is expected that these discussions will be presented
to actual audiences: community, school, college, or
otherwise.
GEARUP Teachers
GEARUP teachers will be expected to constantly use the
experiences of this intense study abroad time to
heighten their own historical understandings, to seek
out specific information in order to formulate
curricular application to their classrooms based on
these understandings, secure teaching aids (maps, books,
photographs, artifacts, etc.), make contacts to be
continued through internet connections that will become
primary resources for student and teacher (this could be
used to create cultural comparisons, exchanges, “pen
pals,” or any first hand learning), and much more. An
open dialogue will be maintained and emphasized
throughout the travel experience between the teachers,
directors, scholars, museum personnel, tour guides, and
most importantly the general populations that will be
encountered. Teachers will be expected to create
portfolios of pertinent travel and cultural memorabilia
which will become the basis for future curriculum and
research projects. Each teacher will develop a learning
unit to be implemented in the classroom during the
2007-2008 academic year. Teachers will be encouraged to
prepare their materials for publication. One pre-travel
and one post travel all day Saturday session will be
scheduled and required for GEARUP teachers to attend.
Culinary Students/ Others not traveling with the
Study Abroad group
These students will create a research paper/project in
place of the travel journal and public presentation.
Discuss with professors for subjects and terms.
Attendance
Attendance is MANDATORY for full cultural experience. If
there is an emergency, students must inform the
instructors immediately by email or phone as listed on
this syllabus only. There will be very little flexible
time in the course schedule so please do not ask to
rearrange presentation times.
Evaluation Scale
100-93 = A
92-85 = B
84-77 = C
76-69 = D
68- = F
Academic Integrity
Fairmont State values highly the integrity of its
student scholars. All students and faculty members are
urged to share in the responsibility for removing every
situation which might permit or encourage academic
dishonesty. Cheating in any form, including plagiarism,
must be considered a matter of the gravest concern.
Cheating is defined here as the obtaining of information
during an examination; the unauthorized use of books,
notes, or other sources of information prior to or
during an examination; the removal of faculty
examination materials; the alteration of documents or
records; or actions identifiable as occurring with the
intent to defraud or use under false pretense.
Plagiarism is defined here as the submission of the
ideas, words (written or oral), or artistic productions
of another, falsely represented as one’s original effort
or without giving due credit. Students and faculty
should examine proper citation forms to avoid
inadvertent plagiarism.
Copyright Notice
Material presented in this course may be protected by
copyright law.
Class Schedule
January 18
6:00- 7:00
Introductions, requirements, overviews (Judy P.
Byers/Noel W. Tenney)
7:00 – 8:30 Film
Overview of Italy
January 25
6:00- 7:15 Italian
History Lecture (Dr. Patrick Albano)
7:15- 7:45 Foods of
Italy (Culinary students)
7:45 -8:50 Language of
Italy (Lucia Murabito)
February 1
6:00-6:30
Conversational Italian (Andrea Pammer)
6:30-7:30 Architecture
of Italy (GEARUP teacher presentation)
7:30-
8:30 Italian Spiritual Interpretations (GEARUP teacher
presentation)
February 8
6:00-6:45 National
Travel (discussion of travel details)
6:45-7:30 Foods of
Italy (Culinary students)
7:30-8:45 Customs and
Folklore of Southern Italy Lecture (Rosalyn Queen
Alonso)
February 15
6:00-7:00 Rome/Pompeii
(Scholarship Students)
7:00-7:30 Italian
Fashion (Dr. Beth Newcome)
7:30-8:30
Crafts and Decorative Arts of Italy (GEARUP teacher
presentation)
February 22
6:00-6:30
Conversational Italian (Andrea Pammer)
6:30-7:30 Fine Arts of
Italy (GEARUP teacher presentation)
7:30-8:30 Music, Film,
and Theater Arts of Italy (GEARUP teacher presentation)
March 1
6:00-7:30
Midterm Review and Assessment (Judy P. Byers/Noel W.
Tenney)
7:30-8:30 Italian
Regional City/State Profiles (GEARUP teacher
presentation)
March 8
6:00
-7:00 Language of Italy (Lucia Murabito)
7:00- 7:30 Foods of
Italy (Culinary students)
7:30-8:45 Italian Immigration Lecture (Mr.Victor
Basile)
March 15 (Spring Break)
March 22
6:00-6:30 Discussion
Time (Judy P. Byers/Noel W. Tenney)
6:30-7:30 Naples, Benevento, Serrento,
Cosenza, San Giovanni (Scholarship Students)
7:30-8:30
Literature and Folklore of Italy (GEARUP teacher
presentation)
March 29
6:00-6:30
Conversational Italian (Andrea Pammer)
6:30-7:30 Historical
Italy as world influence (GEARUP teacher presentation)
7:30-8:30 Geography
and Climate of Italy (GEARUP teacher presentation)
April 5
6:00-6:30
Conversational Italian (Andrea Pammer)
6:30-7:30 Assisi,
Ravenna, Venice (Scholarship Students)
7:30-8:30
Socio-economics of Italy (GEARUP teacher presentation)
April 12
6:00-7:00 Italian
Language (Lucia Murabito)
7:00-7:30 Foods of
Italy (Culinary Students)
7:30-8:45 Italian Calabrian Language Dialect and
Customs Lecture (Rose A. Mazza and Maria
Iaquinto Destito)
April 19
6:00-7:00 Bologna,
Florence, Siena (Scholarship Students)
7:00-7:30 Foods of
Italy (Culinary Students)
7:30-8:45
Cultural Politics of Italy (GEARUP teacher
presentation)
April 26
6:00-7:00 Italian
Language (Lucia Murabito)
700-7:30 Foods of
Italy (Culinary Students)
7:30-8:45
Italian Geoscience Lecture (Dr.
Debra Hemler)
May 3
6:00 Festival with all
participants
May 10 (Finals Week)
May 18 7:00p.m. Campus location
to be announced
Important meeting with
National Travel representatives for final travel
documents
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