May 2016

Mon

Tues

Wed

Thur

Fri

9 Intro: What is a
Revolution?

10 Science, History,
Factories, Karl Marx
Marxist Algebra
Project

11 Marxist
Peasants?
Marxism in the 3rd
World
World Map of
Marxism

12 Big Brothers:
Russian and Chinese
Revolutions
World Map of
Marxism

13 The Art of
Marxist Revolution
World Map of
Marxism

16 The
Vietnamese
Revolution:
Historical Context

17 Cultural Context
of Vietnam: The Place
and the People
Propaganda Posters
of the North
Vietnamese

18 The Events of
the Revolution in
Vietnam
Poster Work

19 The Cuban
Revolution: Historical
Context

20 Cultural Context
of Cuba: The Place
and the People
Propaganda
Posters of the
Cuban Revolution

23 The Events of
the Cuban
Revolution
Poster Work

24 No Class

25 No Class

26 Banh Day & Moros

y Cristianos

27 Vocabulary,
Photo ID, and
Geography, and
Short Answer Exam

As the Industrial Revolution spread through Europe and into the rest of the world a philosophy (some would say a theology)
came to animate many of the political upheavals of the 20th century. That philosophy was Marxism and as it spread it adopted new
and varied languages, locations, and goals. What nearly always stayed the same was Marxisms inspiration to revolution, its desire to
turn the economic pyramid upside down, and in so doing radically reform not only human societies but even human nature. During the
course of this class we will learn the basics of Marxist philosophy and look in detail at how it shaped revolutions in two nations that
were catapulted to notoriety through violent revolution: Vietnam and Cuba. The goal of this class is to immerse students in these
societies, learn the basic contours of their history, and show the overwhelming power that can come from a single idea.
Evaluative Tasks:
500-word compare/contrast paper on Fidel Castro and Ho Chi Minh based on two documentaries (+/- 5 points)
o Students will watch two documentaries and compare the biographies of these two notable revolutionaries
Two Recreations of Revolutionary Posters (+/- 3 points each)
o Students will be evaluated on the care, detail, and accuracy of their recreations.
World Map of Marxism (+/- 3 points each)
o Students will be evaluated on the care, detail, scale, proportion, completeness, and accuracy of their map.
Final Exam (+/- 15 points)
o Students will be evaluated on the completeness and accuracy of their answers.
Attendance and Punctuality (+/- 5 points)
o Students will be evaluated on their attendance and punctuality, with double points taken for illegitimate absences.
Classroom Comportment (+/- 10 points)
o Students will be evaluated on their participation in discussion and activities, focus and engagement during lecture,
efficient use of their in-class work time, and respectfulness toward their peers and instructors.
+/- 0 needed to pass
The 25/50 rule is in effect for this class. If a student misses 25% (4) or more of the class sessions s/he will receive an automatic
failing grade. If a student is late for and/or absent for 50% (8) or more of the class sessions s/he will receive an automatic failing
grade.