The Great Questions Seminar is an introduction to the great questions of humankind.

This seminar is your initiation into the academic life of the college and your invitation to a seat at the table, centuries-long and shared by college and university students from all over the world.

This course welcomes you as a member of this grand community of learners through an interdisciplinary study of representative samples of literature, art, mathematics, and music of various periods and cultures from prehistory to the Renaissance. It is the study of the interrelationships among the arts and how philosophies emphasize an understanding of human nature and the values of human life.

This is a discussion-based class. Unlike a lecture-based class, where students listen to the professor talk, take notes, and have an opportunity to ask questions, this discussion-based class puts you in the driver’s seat. In this class, your professor’s job is to help direct and encourage class discussion, not to lecture. In this classroom, you are responsible for your own learning; your professor is here to help. You should view your professor in this class as a partner on this exciting academic journey. We will be learning and growing together.

This course is divided into three units:

• Unit 1: Homer’s Odyssey
• Unit 2: Meno, Euclid, and Creation
• Unit 3: Devotion and Passion in Poetry and Prose

Welcome to the life of great questions and higher education; your place at the table is ready.

Please keep up with the Great Questions at Austin Community College Online at www.austincc.edu/thegreatquestions

Course Description

• Credit hours: 3
• Classroom Contact Hours Per Week: 3

A study of representative samples of literature, art, and music of various periods and cultures from prehistory through the Renaissance. The study of the interrelationships of the arts and their philosophies emphasizes an understanding of human nature and the values of human life.

This class is NOT self-paced. The due dates correspond to Unit 1, Unit 2, and Unit 3. Some assignments require peer interaction in a timely manner. Please refer to the “Course Calendar” for more information.

A passing score or the equivalent on the reading and writing portion of the TSI test is required for this class.

Course Rationale

This stand-alone course is an interdisciplinary survey of cultures focusing on the philosophical and aesthetic factors in human values with an emphasis on the historical development of the individual and society and the need to create.

Required Course Materials

A note on translations: The editions and ISBNs listed below are strongly recommended. The course materials and corresponding assignment instructions are designed to align with the editions listed as “required” by the ACC bookstore. If you use a different edition from any of these, you should expect to have to adjust your approach to match the syllabus expectations.

Homer’s Odyssey

Translated by: Emily Wilson Publisher: Norton

ISBN: 9780393356250

The Odyssey is Homer’s epic poem of Odysseus’ journey home after 10 years of war in Troy. We will follow along on Odysseus' epic journey, all the while analyzing his ultimate goal, the factors that motivate him to undertake such a journey, and the ways in which he is able to keep going even in the face of temptations and obstacles. Throughout our discussions, you will be encouraged to reflect on your own educational journey in a similar light. This story has inspired men and women for the past 3,000 years to set high goals for themselves and develop a plan to achieve them. It has helped countless people see that even when one suffers detours and setbacks like Odysseus, reaching one’s goals is still possible.

Plato’s Meno

Translated by: GMA Grube Publisher: Hackett

ISBN: 9780915144242

Plato’s Meno deals with the timeless struggle of how to learn something new. Sometimes people think that if they don’t understand something right away that it is just not in them to learn it.

They may say something like, “I’m not a math person” or “I’m not smart enough” and then give up on trying. In the Meno, Socrates confronts a boy who has a similar reaction when working on a difficult mathematical problem and gets him to overcome his false assumption that he cannot learn by guiding him through the process of solving it. After a discussion with Socrates, the boy experiences a shift in mindset from assuming he is not intelligent enough to solve the problem to realizing the solution was in him all along, and that by engaging with the problem and persisting in the face of uncertainty he could indeed unlock the knowledge needed to find the solution.

Throughout the text, Plato challenges us to think about our thinking. How do we know when we know something? How do we know when we still need to do more work before we can know it? In the Meno, Socrates teaches that all real learning begins when we recognize that we don’t know.

Euclid’s Elements

Euclid’s Elements Book One with Questions By Dana Densmore

Publisher: Green Cat Press ISBN: 9781888009460

Euclid’s text is a model for how to think clearly and logically. Through the study and demonstration of his geometrical proofs, we will learn the structure of logical arguments and what it means to prove something. This text will help us apply principles of metacognition to our studies by introducing us to the experience of what it is like to really know something. After you understand an entire proof of Euclid’s, you will feel what it is like to really know that something is true. His proofs provide a window onto the beauty of truth and will inspire us to want to open it further. Studying this text will provide you with a benchmark by which you can judge how well you know other things.

You should ask yourself about future topics of study, “is this as clear to me as a Euclid proof?” Applying this question is a great way to gauge how well you understand a thing.

The Heart of Chinese Poetry: Fifty-Seven of the Best Traditional Chinese Poems in a Dual-Language Edition

Translated and Edited by Greg Whincup

Publisher: Anchor; First Edition (September 16, 1987) ISBN: 038523967X

These selections of Chinese poems represent over 1,000 years of poetic tradition in China. According to Prof. Greg Whincup, “Poetry is the heart of Chinese culture. Inasmuch as we are all members of one human race, Chinese culture is our culture. The heart of Chinese poetry beats in us, too.” Through these readings, you will learn not just about Chinese poetry but also about the culture, history and language of China, whose soul is poetry.

Additional required selected readings are available on Blackboard. They are in .pdf format.

Instructional Methodology

During this course, you will be working on developing and growing your reading and writing skills. You will also be working on your research skills while using an interdisciplinary lens. Do not get discouraged. We are working towards progress, not perfection.

Inspire Academic Alert

What is Inspire Academic Alert?

Austin Community College (ACC) is committed to student success and retention. If a student stops attending, misses assignments, or does poorly on tests, faculty can use the Academic Alert System as an intervention tool. Academic Alert is a feature of Inspire, a comprehensive student support system, that allows ACC faculty to easily and quickly communicate with students needing extra support. Faculty can identify students who are having challenges and connect them with academic guidance specialists to help them resolve issues and access resources to help students persist. It can also be used to commend students who are doing well or showing improvement in class. Alerts will go directly to the student and the assigned guidance specialist.

The goal is to quickly identify the types of support a student may need to get on track to successfully complete the course and motivate students to continue to excel.

Participation:

This course is all about participation. Thoughtful and consistent participation is a very important part of the class. Each student is expected to be an active participant. Your presence is requested and required. This is the single most important component of the course. The class does not work unless each student is an active participant in the course. If you were not usually the one to talk in class discussions in the past, don’t worry; this is a supportive group where you will get an opportunity to practice participating. Participation is also 30% of your course grade.

Study Questions for Class Discussion:

Each reading assignment will include several study questions to help direct your reading of the text. Careful thinking about the study questions while you are reading and before coming to class will help you form your thoughts and make class conversation easy and enjoyable.

Study Question Essay:

You must complete three Study Question Essay assignments over the duration of the semester. See Course Calendar for due dates. Assignments are submitted via Blackboard. You should select a passage from the assigned reading that you think addresses one study question selected for the essay assignment.

Then, you should reproduce this passage, paraphrase it in your own words and explain why that passage addressed the study question. Finally, answer any additional parts of the questions. So, your assignment should take the following form:

1. A quotation from the assigned reading, which helps answer the study question. (please also list chapter, page and/or line number)
2. A paraphrase, in your own words, of the quotation you selected
3. An explanation of why that passage in the text addresses the study question.
4. Your response to the personal reflection portion of the study question.

Please review the grading rubric on Blackboard to see how your faculty leaders will grade your assignment. This should be used to help guide your drafting of the assignment.

Making Connections:

Throughout this semester, each student will complete three “Making Connections” assignments in preparation for course meetings and discussions. In preparation for “Making Connections” days you will (1) explore a list of great works that humans have created, (2) select a work that interests you, and (3) conduct research to learn about the work. On “Making Connections” days, you will have an opportunity to share what you have learned with your classmates and learn about what they have discovered.

These assignments are designed to encourage students to explore works of cultural significance and broaden their cultural and historical knowledge base.

Faculty Meetings:

Students will meet privately with their professor twice each semester. Remember, your faculty leaders are not just here to guide you in this course but to help you understand how to navigate ACC as well. They will help introduce you to ACC resources and make sure you have the support you need to be successful.

One meeting will take place in the first 3 weeks of the semester and another in the second half of the semester. Each meeting will last between 10-15 minutes.

Student Success Journal:

Your journal entries are viewable by you and your professor - feel free to ask for advice and guidance about anything related to your first semester at ACC. You will create journal entries throughout the semester, so consider this a conversation with your professor and yourself. These are intended to be reflective and are not formal writing assignments. Use the prompts provided as a starting point, and make sure you write at least a good paragraph or two (at least 200 words).

Notes on Course Content 

All assigned material has been planned carefully. At times, works of art may include mature themes, graphic language, and graphic imagery. However, objection to participating in course activities and/or assignments is not generally anticipated for college-level study. If you have a personal concern, please notify me privately and we will discuss your circumstances.

Learning can be uncomfortable at times, and so I cannot promise (nor would I want to promise) that you will not ever be uncomfortable. When we are uncomfortable in learning, it is because ideas are new to us, concepts are difficult to process, and/or perspectives contradict our held values and beliefs. Sometimes that discomfort is there to protect us, but sometimes it is worth wading through the discomfort to discover whether or not — beneath that discomfort — a space is revealed where there can be growth and understanding.

Departmental Learning Outcomes

After successful completion of any Humanities course, a student should be able to: 

• Identify a variety of significant works of art from various times and places in human history.
• Analyze works of art within their cultural context.
• Evaluate the relationship between the arts and human values.

Student Learning Outcomes 

After successful completion of this Humanities 1301 course, a student should be able to:

• Demonstrate awareness of the scope and variety of works in the arts and humanities.
• Articulate how these works express the values of the individual and society within an historical and social context.
• Articulate an informed personal response and critically analyze works in the arts and humanities.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the influence of literature, philosophy, and the arts on cultural experiences.
• Demonstrate an awareness of the creative process and why humans create.

Set goals to support personal motivation and achievement.

1. Adopt a growth mindset toward personal education and career goals which fosters hard work, grit, a desire for continual improvements, and persistence in the face of failure.
2. Distinguish between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and examine how intrinsic motivation encourages lifelong learning.
3. Apply principles of metacognition to increase self-awareness of the learning process and personal strengths and weaknesses as a learner.
4. Enhance emotional intelligence, thereby improving interpersonal, leadership, and self-management skills.

General Education Competencies

• Communication Skills: Develop, interpret, and express ideas and information through written, oral and visual communication that is adapted to purpose, structure, audience, and medium.
• Critical Thinking Skills: Gather, analyze, synthesize, evaluate and apply information for the purposes of innovation, inquiry, and creative thinking.
• Personal Responsibility: Identify and apply ethical principles and practices to decision-making by connecting choices, actions and consequences
• Social Responsibility (Civic and Cultural Awareness): Analyze differences and commonalities among peoples, ideas, aesthetic traditions, and cultural practices to include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities.