This is the website for Professor Martin's Fall 2006 TAP seminar on Canadian culture. This site will contain everything related to the course except for grades.

Class blogs now complete

With the class now being officially finished, you might be interested to take a look at the group blogs created by this year's English 005 students:

Group 1: BC and the Territories

Group 2: Atlantic Canada

Group 3: Ontario and Quebec

Group 4: Prairie Dawgz

2007 student podcasts part 10

In this podcast, we hear a student's reactions to our class field trip to Ottawa.

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2007 student podcasts part 11

In this entertaining podcast, one of students who is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States offers us a guide to traveling in Canada.

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2007 student podcasts part 9

This podcast is set up as a radio show focusing on the week's stories from Canadian NHL teams. Who can complain about a podcast on hockey?

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2007 student podcasts part 8

This next podcast sets the bar very high for next year's crop of English 005 students. Set up as a radio show that focuses in this episode on Ovens Natural Park in Nova Scotia, this is an entertaining listen that includes many great images of the park for you to look at as well.

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2007 student podcasts part 7

In this podcast, one of our students recounts his recent visit to Nova Scotia and explains why you just might want to make that your next holiday destination.

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2007 student podcasts part 6

Here's the sixth of our thirteen podcasts from this year's group of English 005 students. This podcast makes a provocative argument about the differences in how Canadians and Americans interact with their environment.

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2007 student podcasts part 5

The fifth installment of our class podcasts for 2007 features a funny and very lively account of our class trip to Ottawa. I might never see that trip in quite the same way again... :)

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2007 student podcasts part 4

Here's our fourth student podcast. This is a terrific coast-to-coast-to-coast tour of the Canadian music scene.

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2007 student podcasts part 3

Here's the third podcast from our class. This podcast's topic is "A Crash Course on Canada."

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2007 student podcasts part 2

Here's the second of this year's crop of new podcasts. This podcast's topic: Canadian actor and writer Seth Rogen

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2007 student podcasts part 1

Here, in random order, is the first of the student podcasts created for this year's English 005 class. I gave students complete freedom for their topics and they chose a wide range of subjects for the podcast. Little did I imagine that one of those subjects might well be me. Hmmm....

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Final project assignment

At long last, here are all the particulars about the final project assignment.

The final project for this course will give you the opportunity to write a paper on anything connected to Canadian culture that interests you. This could stem from something we've covered in the class, something you learned about in Ottawa, or anything else about Canada about which you'd like to learn more. When you're thinking about what to write, cast your net widely. Your paper could be on an historical event, an aspect of Canadian politics, hockey, Rick Mercer and Canadian satire, any of the books we've read this semester, a Canadian artist or musician, etc.

That said, your paper must also have an argument, a thesis that you are setting out to prove with the research that you've done. When using your research, make sure that we still hear your voice and ideas and that you're not simply stitching together many different pieces of information that you've picked up from elsewhere. Finding that balance between simply describing your topic and analyzing what you think is interesting about it is one of the things you need to do to write a good research paper.

Your paper will, as I suggest above, need to to involve a fair amount of research. You can use the internet, but you also will need to use the library. At least two of the sources you cite in your essay must be PRINT sources that you located at the library. It's time to put some of those research skills to use that we learned from our visit to the library. You can include images and even multimedia if you wish (you could send your paper to me electronically or even make it a blog posting!), but not to such a degree that it overwhelms your text.

Word length: 2000-2500 words (roughly 8-10 pages)
Due date: 12/14 (at the very latest)

If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail, IM, or call me. I'm also happy to look over outlines or drafts if that will be of help to you. I also strongly encourage you to talk with me about your topic before you get too far into the project. 2500 words sounds huge, but it's not. Make sure that your topic is manageable within that length of an essay.

Podcast assignment 2007

Create a 7-10 minute podcast on a Canadian topic that you find interesting. This could be anything from your take on our Ottawa experience, an interesting event in the history of Canada, Canada/US relations, or even your favourite Canadian band, writer, or hockey team. The sky is the limit!

Your goal is to create an interesting podcast that will pique your audience's interest in the topic. For it to be engaging, you need, of course, to have an argument or hook of some kind that will make people want to listen to what you have to say. You can do research if you like and, if you wish, you can incorporate images and audio clips. You could even create a video podcast if you like. If including research or audio and video clips that you have not created yourself, make sure to tell your audience where you got that material.

It's also important to think about your delivery of your content. A successful podcast will be one in which you are relaxed and clear, while not seeming overly rehearsed or sounding like you're reading directly from the page. Let your personality come through. Have fun, too, with the medium. There are all sorts of things you can do to make your podcast different from those of everyone else.

PODCASTS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN 11/15.

WHEN YOU'RE FINISHED, SEND YOUR FILE TO ME VIA THE UVM FILE TRANSFER SERVICE

Here are a few samples from last year's class:

Ottawa

So, the Ottawa trip has now come and gone. What did you think about the trip? What was the best part? What surprised you most about Canada? Use this space to share your reactions to the trip. I also want you to start thinking about your podcast assignment in which you can focus on the Ottawa trip if you like.

Ottawa itinerary

We'll be adding a few more specific details to our Ottawa itinerary in the coming week or so, but here is a pretty complete look at what we'll be up to while we're there.

Continue reading "Ottawa itinerary"

Information you will need to know for the midterm on Oct. 11

Follow this link to a posting I made last year with some key information on the government of Canada and the Canadian constitution and Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Some of the questions I may ask could include the number of seats in the House of Commons and the Senate, the role of the Governor General, the differences between the Canadian and US governments, key dates in the history of Canada's constitution, and some of the fundamental parts of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

You'll also need to know the basics of Canadian geography, of course, and some of the key dates in Canadian history we talked about in class.

The role of the Governor General

Here's a great example of some of the remarkable work Canada's Governor General is doing. Earlier tonight she led an online chat at the Citizen Voices website she created. Tonight's topic was "What drives you to act?" I can't think of any other examples of a country's head of state doing an online chat with her nation's citizens. Can you? Did I mention that she even has her own blog? She really seems to be making an effort to connect with Canada's young people and to "break down solitudes."

Check out some of the questions she received and the answers she gave. Some inspirational stuff there, and a great example of people talking about what they can do outside of the political sphere to make Canada a better place.

Canadian immigration on the Daily Show

The Edmonton Oilers' own Raffi Torres makes a hilarious cameo on The Daily Show in a feature about the growing numbers of Mexicans immigrating to Canada. Contrary to the opinions of the intolerant bigot they interview as part of this segment, Canada is very happy to welcome Mexicans and any other immigrants who would like to move there. Canada needs more immigrants, and most of us believe that immigration only makes our country better and stronger. If only Raffi could have had a go at that guy... (I'm not going to mention his name or organization here). I loved how dumbfounded he was when he was asked to define Canadian culture.

Your top five iPod selections

On top of your regular blog assignments for this week, and making sure that you are completely finished Stephen Leacock's Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town, here's a short (and fun) assignment for this week.

You've now had your iPods for a couple of weeks and hopefully you've had some time to explore some of the loads of Canadian content you'll find on them. It's time to share with the class your top five discoveries on the iPod. Give us the names of five songs or artists that you LOVED and a short description of why you liked these particular selections. Try to vary the genres you're choosing from and try also to include at least one lecture or spoken word piece. Also, you can't choose more than one selection from the same artist (i.e. here are my five favourite songs by The Tragically Hip).

We'll talk about your responses to this blog post next Tuesday in class, so make sure you have this completed by then.

Once you're done, I'll add all of these songs into a new playlist that will wind up on your iPods the next time we update them, something we'll do over at Canadian Studies a couple of weeks from now.

James B. Douglas performance 9/25

SUNSHINE AND SHADOWS: AN AFTERNOON WITH STEPHEN LEACOCK

Performed by James B. DouglasTUESDAY, SEPT. 25th, 4:00 PMMann Auditorium, Trinity Campus, University of Vermont

"the most vivid recreation of Stephen Leacock we have seen... hilariously funny... captures the essence of Leacock's razor sharp wit"

The renowned Canadian actor James B. Douglas will be coming to the University of Vermont to perform an abbreviated version of his one-man play based on the life and work of the Canadian writer Stephen Leacock (1869-1944). Douglas has performed Sunshine and Shadows to rave reviews in Canada earlier this fall and takes the production to England in October. In his play we see the many sides of Stephen Leacock, who remains one of Canada's best-known writers and humorists. Following the one-hour performance, Mr. Douglas will be answering questions about his play and his own thoughts on Leacock and his work.

During Stephen Leacock's lifetime, works like Literary Lapses (1910), Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town (1912), and Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich (1914) were international bestsellers and remain in print to this day. A famed and much-loved professor of Political Economy at McGill University, Leacock wrote over 50 books, including many collections of humorous stories, biographies of Charles Dickens and Mark Twain, treatises on Canadian history and politics, and several textbooks on economics. Since 1947, The Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humor (which also includes a $10 000 prize) has been awarded annually to the best Canadian literary work of humor. A veteran of stage, screen and television, James B. Douglas has played over 150 major roles in Britain, Canada and the United States. Highlights include Bitos in POOR BITOS (Center Theater Group, Los Angeles), Sir Toby Belch in TWELFTH NIGHT (Old Globe Theater, San Diego), Paris in TROILUS AND CRESSIDA (Stratford Festival), Polo in A HATFUL OF RAIN (Princes Theatre, London) and especially the role of Pvt. Bamforth in THE LONG AND THE SHORT AND THE TALL (Montreal, Toronto and New York). He has also played roles in many television series and movies, including THE PSI-FACTOR, SOUL FOOD, ROAD TO AVONLEA (opposite Faye Dunaway), THE ASSOCIATES, DOC, THE HAIR CUT, CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE, MILLION DOLLAR BABIES, A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF CANADA and M.A.S.H. He has received Juno and Dora nominations and starred in the Oscar nominated film AFTER THE AXE. James is also a director/producer and dramaturge. He is the former Artistic Director of The Gryphon Theatre where he premiered WAR BRIDES - THE MUSICAL and directed his own adaptation of W.O. Mitchell's JAKE AND THE KID. Sponsored by the James and Mary Brigham Buckham Scholarship Fund, the Dept. of English, and the UVM Canadian Studies Program
For more info on the location of the Mann Auditorium, read the full entry below: Continue reading "James B. Douglas performance 9/25"

Group assignment 2007

Syllabus

Our syllabus for the Fall 2007 version of English 005 is now online. Just click on the syllabus tab and you'll see it. The schedule will change from time to time, but I'm hoping to stick pretty close to it this semester. If you're looking for something to start reading before classes start, you can take a look at Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town, which is in the bookstore already. The big anthology of short fiction that we'll be using will be available directly from me by mid-September.

I'm looking forward to this class already. It's going to be a great semester!

Speaking of our class...

Just a reminder that the annual Ottawa field trip (October 18-20) is a required part of the course. The trip is a blast and will definitely be one of your most memorable events here at UVM. We're already organizing it and I'll have an itinerary for you in the first week or so of classes.

Some of last year's TAP students at the National Gallery of Canada

New syllabus coming soon

I'll have the syllabus for the Fall 2007 version of English 005, along with an introductory podcast, posted closer to the end of July. Stay tuned! This fall's class promises to be bigger and better than ever!

Next year's class

Here's the description for next year's TAP class:

From Pucks to Parliament: Canada's cultural landscape

If you ask the average American about Canada, you’ll find that most know very little about this mysterious land north of the US, labeled on most American maps as nothing more than “Canada.” In this course’s exploration of Canadian culture, we’ll “travel” from coast to coast to coast in our quest to learn more about the people, culture, politics, and history of Canada, the United States’ largest trading partner and one of its most important allies. Throughout our journey, we’ll be paying particular attention to Canadian literature, music, television, and movies.

This Residential TAP course will see most students living in Canada House, part of Living/Learning’s Global Village Residential Learning Community. This will also be a technology-driven, writing intensive course that will see you writing, blogging, and even podcasting about your new discoveries about Canada. The course will include a mandatory class trip to Ottawa, Canada’s capital, during which we will visit Parliament, the National Gallery and Museum of Civilisation, and, yes, even attend a hockey game.

For the duration of the course, each student will also be loaned an iPod loaded with Canadian music, audio books, and lectures connected to the topics we will be studying.

Paul Martin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English and the Director of UVM’s Canadian Studies Program. Paul grew up in Edmonton, Alberta and has lived in Vermont since 2003. Although he enjoys living in Vermont, you’ll frequently hear him longing for Tim Hortons coffee and donuts and pining for the big sky of the Canadian prairie. His research areas include Canadian literature in both English and French and contemporary fiction. Although he spent his youth playing music instead of hockey, he’s a diehard Edmonton Oilers fan, having grown up in the heyday of Gretzky, Messier, Coffey, Kurri, and Fuhr.