English and Critical Thinking

This course offers an introduction to films produced in the Middle East. It uses films to understand the culture and history of the region, analyze it, and write about it.

Students will read Khaled Hosseini’s novel 1000 Splendid Suns both as literary exemplar and as the subject of postcolonial critique. We will pay particular attention to the dual point of view in the novel; to Hosseini’s perspective as a member of the Afghan diaspora; and to the fluid interpretations of history embedded in novels tied to controversial events. By the end of class, students will have written two stories of their own, one from a perspective close to their own, and one from a perspective close to their mother’s. Students who are taking this class for academic credit through OSUN will also be working on critical theory and approaches to Hosseini’s book in the context of gender studies and postcolonial studies. Those students will be writing a 10 – 12 page critical paper in addition to the creative work. For all students, workshops and group presentations are an essential part of this course.

This course covers basic concepts in statistics including statistical vocabulary, data collection, data summary and graphical display.  Students should come away from the course understanding statistical terms and graphics and able to do some basic analyses.  They will be prepared for more advanced courses in statistics, data science or research methods.