Journal Project

Deadline: See Syllabus

Required:

3 entries per unit
at least 100 words each
21 entries in total.

Please note that one entry per unit can be submitted as your Unit Photo Assignment and vice-versa. I've included other ways to maximize this assignment's requirements below.

Purpose:

The concept of a journal or diary is nothing new, and society has used them in a variety of ways. What I'd like you to do is use this space as a way to engage with the themes of the course outside of CourseDen as a way of thinking about how these themes relate to everyday life in non-academic terms.

Task:

Beginning with Unit 1 what I'd like you to do is keep a diary or journal of the things around you, observing the semester through the lens of Africana Studies. This journal will be a reflection of what you see, either through a personal log, a social commentary, a creative space, or a discussion of the week’s headlines. The opportunities are endless, and how you choose to do that is up to you.

I will also offer suggestions throughout the semester of ways to engage with and journal about particular course themes.

What is required is 3 entries per week of at least 100 words each, for a total of 21 entries.

Suggestions for entries:

Family traditions, foods, meals, etc
A book you've read (even for this class) and thoughts you had about it
A personal or lived experience that relates
Concerns you have that you want to share
A political cartoon
Interpretations of artifacts or objects that have some meaning to you or the course materials/themes
Initiatives or activism you yourself are participating in or want to participate in
A movie or show that you watched and how it relates
A headline or current event that is unfolding
a poem that you wrote
A student once cooked international meals and discussed each one in an entry.
Another student kept a bullet journal with sketches of things that happened throughout the semester

Does this need to be Personal?

No. You can do the entire assignment without connecting your lived experiences to it. You can focus completely on observations that you make or on things that you run across on social media or in the news. It can be 21 entries about you or 21 entries of social commentary or 21 entries about news stories. You could even do 21 photos with 100-word captions as a photo diary of sorts. Share what you feel comfortable sharing.

How to Maximize this Assignment:

You can use one of your weekly entries for the Unit Photo Assignment. That's 7 entries right there. Boom. Just make sure that your word count is at 100 words for the journal entry when doing that. If you think about it, you really only have 2 additional entries for each unit. You're welcome. Do you have to do this? No. But, the option is there if you want it.
Use the space to write down thoughts of the books or materials we are reading and discussing, or even thoughts about the discussions we are having. Do not cut and paste, or recycle, but rather use the space to comment or jot down ideas you'd like to expand upon.
Use the space to talk about the Cultural Event you attend as a space to prep for the paper you will submit this semester.

Got questions? Email me here or at cvasconc@westga.edu