Schedule and Syllabus

Summer 2023     Knowledge for Freedom Seminar

Dickinson College / Summer 2023
Seminar:  M/T/W/TH/F 930am to 12pm
Classrooms: Denny 317 (lecture / discussion), Denny 315, 212, 112 (group discussions)
Plus various afternoon and weekend activities and field trips

[ PRINTABLE SYLLABUS ]

Faculty and Grad TAs

  • Prof. Lynn Johnson // Email: lynnrjohnson11@gmail.com
  • Prof. Todd Mealy // Email: tmmealy@comcast.net
  • Prof. Matthew Pinsker // Email: pinsker@msn.com
  • JOHNSON TA:  Cooper Wingert (PhD candidate, Georgetown) // Email: chw52@georgetown.edu
  • MEALY TA:  Charlotte Goodman (Dickinson 2023 post-grad) // Email: goodmach@dickinson.edu
  • PINSKER TA:  Lindsay Bowman (Head of Middle & Upper Schools, Harrisburg Academy) // Email:  bowman.l@harrisburgacademy.org

Overview

Slavery, or the idea of holding people as property, might well be the most insidious repudiation of American democratic ideals. And yet, slaveholding was both widespread and long-entrenched in the United States, a country that has always prided itself on embracing individualism and universal natural rights. How was such a fundamental contradiction even possible? That is the kind of searing question that will help open a gateway toward both deeper learning and more engaged citizenship in the Knowledge for Freedom seminar. Students who successfully conclude this program and complete their final web-based projects will receive free Dickinson College credit for the equivalent of a History 101 general topical survey course.

Required Books & Pamphlets (distributed free)

  • Andrew Delbanco, ed., The Portable Abraham Lincoln (Penguin, 2009 ed.)
  • Nikole Hannah-Jones, ed., The 1619 Project, New York Times, August 19, 2019 [WEB]
  • Jonathan Holloway, The Cause of Freedom:  A Concise History of African Americans (Oxford 2021)
  • James Oakes, The Radical and the Republican: Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and the Triumph of Antislavery Politics (WW Norton, 2007)
  • Matthew Pinsker, ed., Dickinson & Slavery: A Report to the Community (2019) [WEB]
  • Matthew Pinsker, ed., Knowledge for Freedom Source Book (2023) [PDF]

Course Policies

For details on course policies, especially those regarding attendance, participation, accommodations for disabilities, plagiarism and general learning objectives, visit the link above.

Workshops, Activities and Field Trips

Each afternoon, seminar participants will participate in various workshops, covering topics such as the college admissions process, research, writing and multi-media production.  Seminar participants will also undertake historical walking tours on campus and in town and will enjoy extended field trips to places such as Gettysburg and Washington, DC.  For details on these trips, visit the links above.

Participation

Students will be responsible for regular attendance and participation in the daily seminar sessions for three weeks, about 2.5 hours per day.  In addition, students will be expected to fully attend separate afternoon workshop sessions and various other program activities. The best way to participate in this seminar (and in most college classes) is to come prepared with thoughtful questions.  The most important questions usually concern possible connections with other texts or experiences, designed to draw broader insights and deeper understanding about context and meaning.  All participants will receive a written evaluation of their participation by their respective faculty section leaders.

Close Reading Reflections

During the July seminar, all students will produce one short close reading reflection essay with embedded document video, posted at the 2023 student project website –with first draft due to grad TAs by Sunday afternoon, July 23 and final draft due to faculty by Tuesday night, July 25.   Students are expected to begin working with both undergrad tutors and grad TAs in daily workshop sessions during the first week of class to ensure that they are making good progress in the development of their reflection essay posts.  Reflections should analyze one of the course texts in close reading style, about 500 to 1,000 words or 2 to 3 pages (single spaced), with 2-3 images (properly credited and captioned) and with one short, embedded video or podcast reading that attempts to bring to life a short snippet (20 to 60 seconds) from the assigned text. Students may select ANY document from the course texts list –from 2023 or from previous years. These assignments will be evaluated by faculty for analysis, prose and multi-media effort. Models for these reflections are available on the assignment page.  The best close reading reflection posts will be published online.   Students pursuing optional college credit will also produce a second close reading reflection post with embedded document video (due by August 25).

Final Essays

Students seeking optional college credit will need to continue to meet remotely with Prof. Pinsker at weekly one-hour Zoom sessions for three weeks following the conclusion of the residential seminar experience .  They will work with him to produce a second close reading reflection post (see above) and  a final essay (about 2,000 to 2,500 words or roughly 4 to 5 pages, single spaced) that draws lessons about how best to achieve change in American democracy through comparing and contrasting the antislavery strategies of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.   All post-campus work will be due by Friday, August 25 at 5pm posted at the student projects site:  https://housedivided.dickinson.edu/sites/2023teagle/.  Final essays should include properly captioned and credited images as well as Chicago-style footnotes, citing wherever relevant the primary source texts from the course syllabus as well as secondary sources provided by the program, including James Oakes’s dual biography and Jonathan Holloway’s survey of African American history. Outside research beyond these materials is allowed but not required. Final essays will be graded on prose quality, research, and depth of analysis. Models for these final essays will be available at the course site. The best student essays will also be considered as models for future seminar students and for inclusion in Prof. Pinsker’s online Student Hall of Fame gallery. Late  projects will be penalized up to 5 points each day.

Grade Distribution

NOTE:  all participants will receive comments on their participation and grades on their first close reading post shortly after the regular program concludes.  Other grades and an overall course grade will only be distributed in early September for those seeking college credit.

Seminar Participation……………………………………35 percent
First close reading post…………………………………15 percent
Second close reading post…………………………….15 percent
Final Essay……………………………………………………..35 percent

Full daily schedule (subject to change)

Week 1:  Background on Slavery and Freedom

  • Sunday 7/16 -Arrival Day (Dickinson College campus)
    •  2pm to 4pm = Participants arrive to House Divided studio (61. N. West St)
    • 2pm to 430pm = Move in at High Street Residence Hall (450 W. High St)
    • 430pm to 5pm = Quick campus orientation (STAFF)
    • 5pm to 630pm = Dinner with STAFF (Holland Union Building / HUB)
    • 7pm to 9pm = Dorm activities
    • 9pm to 11pm = Personal time / lights out
  • Monday 7/17  –Framing Freedom
  • Tuesday 7/18  –Framing Slavery
    • 7am to 9am = Breakfast available (HUB)
    • 930am to 945am = Announcements (Pinsker / Denny 317)
    • 945am to 1045am = Context lecture (Pinsker)
    • 1045am to 11am = Break
    • 11am to 12pm = Group discussions (Denny 112, 212, 315)
    • 12pm to 1pm = Lunch available (HUB)
    • 130pm to 245pm = Field trip:  CCHS (21 N. Pitt St)
    • 3pm to 430pm = Admissions Activity: Finding Your College (Denny 104)
    • 445pm to 630pm = Dinner available (HUB)
    • 7pm to 9pm = Dorm activities
    • 9pm to 11pm = Personal time / lights out
  • Wednesday7/19  –Douglass and Lincoln
    • 7am to 9am = Breakfast available (HUB)
    • 930 to 945am = Announcements (Pinsker / Denny 317)
    • 945am to 1045am = Context lecture (Mealy / Pinsker)
    • 1045am to 11am = Break
    • 11am to 12pm = Group discussions (Denny 112, 212, 315)
    • 12pm to 1pm = Lunch available (HUB)
    • 130pm to 245pm = Workshop: Close Readings (Denny 112/ staff)
    • 3pm to 430pm =  Carlisle Indian School (Denny 104 / Jim Gerencser)
    • 445pm to 630pm = Dinner available (HUB)
    • 7pm to 9pm = Optional Close Reading Brainstorming (staff / dorm)
    • 9pm to 11pm = Personal time / lights out
  • Thursday 7/20– Seeking Freedom
    • 7am to 9am = Breakfast available (HUB)
    • 930am to 945am = Announcements  (Pinsker / Denny 317)
    • 945am to 1045am = Context lecture  (Johnson / Mealy)
    • 1045am to 11am = Break
    • 11am to 12pm = Group discussions (Denny 112, 212, 315)
    • 12pm to 1pm = Lunch available (HUB)
    • 130pm to 245pm = Field trip:  Old Courthouse & UGRR (Outside Denny)
    • 3pm to 430pm = Admissions Activity:  Application Process (Denny 112)
    • 445pm to 630pm = Dinner available (HUB)
    • 7pm to 9pm = Required Close Reading Brainstorming (Staff / dorm)
    • 9pm to 11pm = Personal time / lights out
  • Friday 7/21 –Lincoln’s Secession Crisis, and Ours
    • 7am to 9am = Breakfast available (HUB)
    • 930 to 945am = Announcements  (Pinsker / Denny 317)
    • 945am to 1045am = Context lecture (Pinsker)
    • 1045am to 11am = Break
    • 11am to 12pm = Group discussions (Denny 112, 212, 315)
    • 12pm to 1pm = Lunch available (HUB)
    • 130pm to 245pm = Workshop: League of Women Voters (Denny 104)
    • 3pm to 430pm = Activity:  Scavenger Hunt
    • 445pm to 630pm = Dinner available (HUB)
    • 630pm to 930pm = MOVIE NIGHT –“Lincoln” (Location: Althouse 106)
    • 10pm to 11pm = Personal time / lights out
  • Saturday 7/22 – Field Trip to Gettysburg
  • Sunday 7/23 –Close Reading assignments
    • 7am to 9am = Breakfast available (HUB)
    • 9am to 10am = Coffee shop run
    • 930am to 430pm = Denny 112 computer lab available
    • 10am to 12pm = Optional Close Reading support (Tutors)
    • 12pm to 1pm = Lunch available (HUB)
    • 1pm to 4pm = Required Close Reading Draft Review (Grad TAs)
    • 445pm to 630pm = Dinner available (HUB)
    • 7pm to 10pm  = Reading & writing time
    • 10pm to 11pm = Personal time / lights out

Week 2: The Other Lincoln-Douglass Debates

  • Tuesday 7/25 – Rebuilding America
    • 7am to 9am = Breakfast available (HUB)
    • 930am to 945am = Announcements (Pinsker / Denny 317)
    • 945am to 1045am = Context lecture (Pinsker / Johnson / Mealy)
    • 11am to 12pm = Group discussions (Denny 112, 212, 315)
    • 12pm to 1pm = Lunch available (HUB)
    • 130pm to 245pm = Field trip: Dickinson & Slavery tour (meet at Old West)
    • 3pm to 430pm = Admissions Activity: Essays & Interviews (Denny 104)
    • 445pm to 630pm = Dinner available (HUB)
    • 7pm = Close reading reflections due by Tuesday night to faculty
    • 7pm to 9pm = Dorm activities
    • 9pm to 11pm = Personal time / lights out
  • Wednesday 7/26 –Field Trip to DC
    • 7am to 730am = EARLY Breakfast only (HUB)
    • 730am to 9pm = Activity: Field trip to Washington DC
    • 9pm to 11pm = Personal time / lights out
  • Thursday 7/27 –Promissory Notes
    • 7am to 9am = Breakfast available (HUB)
    • 930am to 945am = Announcements (Pinsker / Denny 317)
    • 945am to 1045am = Context lecture (Johnson / Mealy)
    • 1045am to 11am = Break
    • 11am to 12pm = Group discussions (Denny 112, 212, 315)
    • 12pm to 1pm = Lunch available (HUB)
    • 130pm to 245pm = Debate prep (TBD)
    • 3pm to 430pm = Admissions Activity: Financial Aid (Denny 104)
    • 445pm to 630pm = Dinner available (HUB)
    • 7pm to 9pm = Required: Debate prep
    • 9pm to 11pm = Personal time / lights out
  • Friday 7/28 –Closing Activities

 

COVID STATEMENT:  Participants in the 2023 seminar will be required to be fully vaccinated for COVID prior to their on-campus arrival on July 16, 2023.  Those unable to meet this requirement may request permission to participate remotely during our three-week session.