Each week we will be looking at a set period from our past

Each week we will be looking at a set period from our past.  Although these are our ancestors, it will seem like we are studying a distant planet, inhabited by people with the strangest of habits.  Fortunately, these subjects of our observation give us abundant clues about who they are.  Their art, their writing, their technology, the way they do business, the way they govern themselves all feed into a picture we will attempt to paint for ourselves each week.  Understanding who they were will help us understand who we are.

Each week you will be given three or four questions pertaining to important topics covered in the materials provided in the question itself, the textbook, the lectures, the other materials provided, and my comments in my Live Session. You choose the one question you like and post a response of 125 words or more.  You also need to respond to another post from one of your fellow students.  This second post should be at least 60 or so words long and should not just agree with or repeat what has been said.

Please always use an example that has not already been used in the discussion.

• Your book does a great job explaining how Louis XIV used art to promote his royal power.  We would say he used it as propaganda if you like.  Peter Paul Rubens was Louis’ favorite and though he was already gone by the reign of the French king, his paintings filled Versailles.  Diego Velasquez was alive while he served his monarchs.  Choose one work by each painter and explain how it served to glorify and enhance the power of the painter’s royal master.  Compare the two choices of art you make.
• The last section of Chapter 23 gives us a good overview of how Baroque art and Catholicism worked to bring the Christian faith to the New World.  Using examples from the book or any good ones you can find, explain how art was used to convert the Native Americans to Christianity.  How are New World churches and retablos different from European ones?  Was religion used as a tool of conquest?
• Chapter 24 begins with a great explanation of London during this time.  What role did the capital city play in national affairs?  How does the city compare with the Paris of Louis XIV as described at the beginning of Chapter 23? How did Louis XIV respond to the power of Paris?
• The English began to read and write works of fiction in the form of novels during this time.  Your book has a great section on English writing of all sorts.  Choosing two novels from the ones written during this period, explain what each tells us about the world in the 18th Century.
• How does the work of Isaac Newton and other early scientists lead to the Industrial Revolution?  Describe the earliest phases of the Industrial Revolution as explained in Chapter 24.

How to Improve Your Score with Discussion Boards

With the first week of Discussion Boards behind of us, it is a good time to pause and reflect before moving forward. If the score is the only thing you look at and moved on, you are doing yourself a disservice. Read the feedback and consider why you lost points, to prevent the same thing happening week after week.

Here are a few common mistakes to avoid:

1. Not writing enough. This is a writing class. You are expected to read and listen to the materials, analyze and write an understandable response that covers the subject and answers the questions. Use complete sentences, as these are not short-answer questions. You might need to do a bit of extra research.
2. Cite your sources at the end of the initial post. Never cut-and-paste materials from sources. We want to see your thoughts and not those of others. If you summarize someone else’s thoughts or you use a direct quote, cite them. With assignments of this length, do not use long quotes. A short phrase is the maximum.
3. If your response to your classmates is “Great post!” “I agree with you!”  are all you write, then you will not get points. Read their posts and find something they say that you can comment on. You can agree or disagree but provide evidence to prove your claims. The length here is important as well. Say something interesting that relates to the subject. Again, if you use outside sources, cite them.
4. Make sure your comments are organized, relate to the subject, and make sense.
5. Check grammar, spelling, sentence structure, etc. As a college student, mistakes in these areas should not be present in your writing. When they are present, go back and review and learn why you made the mistake, so that you will not make them next time.
6. When you have completed your post, before you post it, re-read and edit it. You send your best work to be graded. Grading should not be an editing service, but a confirmation of your hard work. You are not done and should not post until you have edited your work for errors.
7. As a southerner, I often tell myself…Self, you cannot write the way you speak. Use your formal voice, with correct grammar and diction. To be honest, I was born a redneck, but I work hard to keep it under wraps in my writing. Writing well will become one of the greatest skills you can develop, but it takes constant work.
8. Try to check and respond to your classmates throughout the week. Read my responses to your classmates as well. You will find that the give and take of the responses will add much to your understanding.