Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/Georgetown University/WRIT 015-09- Banned and Challenged Books (Spring 2020)

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Course name
WRIT 015-09- Banned and Challenged Books
Institution
Georgetown University
Instructor
Lisbeth Fuisz
Wikipedia Expert
Shalor (Wiki Ed)
Subject
Writing and Culture
Course dates
2020-01-08 00:00:00 UTC – 2020-05-23 23:59:59 UTC
Approximate number of student editors
15


This class examines censorship in U.S. public schools and libraries. Hundreds of challenges are made yearly to texts for containing sexually explicit material, violence, homosexuality, anti-family sentiment, offensive language and Satanic themes, amongst others. This class will explore what is at stake in these arguments over appropriate reading materials. Students will share their growing knowledge about book censorship with a wider audience through their contributions to Wikipedia.

Student Assigned Reviewing
Lexieemegerr Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book
JBD007 One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads
Mforshey This One Summer
R.dever King & King
Ericclipkaa Prince & Knight
DooinP It's Perfectly Normal
Gvvic Who's in a Family?
DylanAnton To Kill a Mockingbird (2018 play)
Wdprout A Stolen Life (book)
Kmartinez137 Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza
Stchung19 Horton Hears a Who!
Rosebecker1 Asha's Mums
Alisa2833 Milk and Honey (poetry collection)
SuzetteK The Face on the Milk Carton
Jahvon Blair The Hunger Games

Timeline

Week 4

Course meetings
Wednesday, 29 January 2020

Week 5

Course meetings
Monday, 3 February 2020   |   Wednesday, 5 February 2020
Assignment - Introduction to the Wikipedia assignment

Welcome to your Wikipedia assignment's course timeline. This page guides you through the steps you'll need to complete for your Wikipedia assignment, with links to training modules and your classmates' work spaces.

Your course has been assigned a Wikipedia Expert. You can reach them through the Get Help button at the top of this page.

Resources:


Assignment - Get started on Wikipedia

Create an account and join this course page, using the enrollment link your instructor sent you. (Because of Wikipedia's technical restraints, you may receive a message that you cannot create an account. To resolve this, please try again off campus or the next day.) Complete the four trainings and join Wikipedia prior to class on Feb. 5. Each training if completed on time is worth 20 points towards the Wikipedia Project, Phase One.


In class - Evaluating articles on Wikipedia

Students will evaluate and make edits to Wikipedia articles on controversial children’s literature. This work will count towards Wikipedia Project, Phase One.

Exercise. Please complete in class. Worth 20 points towards Wikipedia Project, Phase One if completed on time.

 

Evaluate an article

Milestones

This week, everyone should have a Wikipedia account.

Week 6

Course meetings
Monday, 10 February 2020   |   Wednesday, 12 February 2020

Week 7

Course meetings
Wednesday, 19 February 2020   |   Tuesday, 18 February 2020
In class - Discussion

What's a content gap?

In class - Evaluating an article related to Tucson controversy

Use the following questions to evaluate the Wikipedia article you selected related to the Tucson Controversy/Rethinking Columbus. Put the evaluation in your Wikipedia sandbox (the page labeled User:your username/sandbox). Add a section to the sandbox with a title indicating which article you are evaluating. 

 

 

Evaluating content

Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you?

Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added? Identify content gaps.

What else could be improved?


Evaluating tone

Is the article neutral? Are there any claims that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?

Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?

 

Evaluating sources

Check a few citations. Do the links work? Does the source support the claims in the article?

Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference? Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted?

 

Checking the talk page

Now take a look at how others are talking about this article on the talk page.

What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic?

How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects?


How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?


Assignment - Adding citations training

Worth 20 points towards Wikipedia Project, Phase One if completed on time, by the start of class on 2/19/2020.

Week 8

Course meetings
Monday, 24 February 2020   |   Wednesday, 26 February 2020
In class -

Wikipedia Project, Phase One: evaluating Wikipedia articles related to Drama.    

Week 9

Course meetings
Monday, 2 March 2020   |   Wednesday, 4 March 2020
In class -

Wikipedia Project, Phase One: evaluating Wikipedia articles related to Fun Home.

Week 10

Course meetings
Monday, 16 March 2020   |   Wednesday, 18 March 2020
In class -

Wikipedia Project, Phase One: evaluating Wikipedia articles related to Angelou and Caged Bird.    

Week 11

Course meetings
Monday, 23 March 2020   |   Wednesday, 25 March 2020
In class -

Wikipedia Project, Phase Two: Evaluating Wikipedia articles to which students will make significant additions/changes. 

Week 12

Course meetings
Monday, 30 March 2020   |   Wednesday, 1 April 2020
In class -

Wikipedia Project, Phase Two: Continue evaluating Wikipedia articles to which students will make significant additions/changes. 

Week 13

Course meetings
Monday, 6 April 2020   |   Wednesday, 8 April 2020
In class - Conducting research

Library Research Days for Wikipedia Project, Phase Two. 

Milestones

Everyone has begun drafting new content for their articles.

Week 14

Course meetings
Wednesday, 15 April 2020
Assignment - Continue drafting your contributions

Reach out to your Wikipedia Expert if you have questions using the Get Help button at the top of this page.

Resource: Editing Wikipedia, pages 7–9

The training is worth 20 points towards your Wikipedia Project, Phase One grade.

Week 15

Course meetings
Monday, 20 April 2020   |   Wednesday, 22 April 2020
Assignment - Peer review two articles

Guiding framework

Milestones

Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.


Assignment - Respond to your peer review

You probably have some feedback from other students and possibly other Wikipedians. Consider their suggestions, decide whether it makes your work more accurate and complete, and edit your draft to make those changes.

Resources:

  • Editing Wikipedia, pages 12 and 14
  • Reach out to your Wikipedia Expert if you have any questions.


Assignment - Continue improving your article

Exercise

Add links to your article

Now's the time to revisit your text and refine your work. You may do more research and find missing information; rewrite the lead section to represent all major points; reorganize the text to communicate the information better; or add images and other media.


Assignment - Begin moving your work to Wikipedia

 

 

Now that you've improved your draft based on others' feedback, it's time to move your work live - to the "mainspace."

Resource: Editing Wikipedia, page 13

Week 16

Course meetings
Monday, 27 April 2020
Assignment - Polish your work

Continue to expand and improve your work, and format your article to match Wikipedia's tone and standards. Remember to contact your Wikipedia Expert at any time if you need further help!

Training is optional for those who are interested in adding images to their article.


Assignment - Final article

It's the final week to develop your article.

  • Read Editing Wikipedia page 15 to review a final check-list before completing your assignment.
  • Don't forget that you can ask for help from your Wikipedia Expert at any time!
Milestones

Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.