2021-09-21

Sam Richards, HPS — Department of Sociology and Criminology

Sam Richards, HPS — Department of Sociology and Criminology


SAM RICHARDS HPS
Home / People / Sam Richards, HPS

Sam Richards HPS 



Teaching Professor of Sociology

Director of Development,

World in Conversation Center for Public Diplomacy416 Oswald Tower
University Park , PA 16802
Email: samrichards@psu.edu Office Phone: (814) 863-7456

Websites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Richards_%28sociologist%29
http://www.worldinconversation.org
http://www.soc119.org


Education:
1983 - B.A., University of Toledo
1985 - M.A., University of Toledo
1992 - Ph.D., Rutgers University

Biography:

Dr. Samuel Richards is an award winning teacher and sociologist at Penn State University and the instructor of the largest race, gender and cultural relations course in the United States. With over 760 students each semester and a twenty-five-year legacy, that course was the subject of an Emmy Award winning television broadcast called, “You Can’t Say That.” The course is currently streamed live to the world every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon at http://www.soc119.org. Sam’s willingness to take risks and push new ideas is what led him to be named one of the “101 most dangerous professors in America.” Sam obtained his Ph.D. from Rutgers University with a focus on socioeconomic development of Africa and Latin America. His current work focuses on inequality stemming from racial and gender differences and he works to develop programs that bridge cultural divides. Arguing that empathy is the core of Sociology, his "Radical Experiment in Empathy" is one of the most widely viewed TEDx talks online, having reached over 3 million people. In that talk, he walks the audience through how an average Iraqi citizen might experience U.S. military policies in their country. As the Director of Development at the World in Conversation Center, Sam is currently co-director of a research project sponsored by NATO’s Science for Peace and Security Programme to develop a virtual, facilitated cross-cultural dialogue tool for NATO military personnel and civilians in conflict zones. The primary goal of the project is to offer people in conflict regions opportunities to humanize their enemies. His work has been reported on in The New York Times, MSNBC, The Christian Science Monitor, and PBS, as well as many other national and international media outlets. Dr. Richards and his wife, Laurie Mulvey, have been called the “parents of radical empathy.”

==
RACE, ETHNICITY AND CULTURE (SOC 119N) – Fall 2021 
 
Section 001 & 601 – 4.0 credits 
 
 
T/R – 4:35 – 5:50 pm – 100 Thomas 
 
 
INSTRUCTOR:  Dr. Sam Richards 
 
USE THIS EMAIL FOR ALL COURSE QUESTIONS:  staff@soc119.org 
 
COURSE ASSISTANTS:  Lily AbiNader and Yuli Prieto  
 
COURSE WEB SITE:  www.soc119.org 
 
TOPHAT:  www.tophat.com 
 
PACKBACK:  www.packback.co/ 
 
WORLD IN CONVERSATION (registration page):  https://winc.la.psu.edu 
 
 
 
 
WHERE DOES THE CLASS MEET?  
 
In Person:  100 Thomas Building 
Online:  www.youtube.com/soc119/live   or   www.twitch.tv/soc119 
 
 
 
 
TAKING SOC 119 ONLINE OR IN PERSON – WHAT IS POSSIBLE? 
 
  Can I take SOC 119 online? 
At this point, we are organizing the class around the idea that people will attend class in person in 100 Thomas Building on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:355:50pm.  
 
 
What if I cannot attend class? 
Like every other pre-Covid19 semester of Soc 119, students receive points for being in class because attendance is an “assignment.” 
If you miss class, then you still must make up those points. 
 
 
How do I make up attendance points when I miss class? 
You can watch a recording of class and take a quiz on Canvas. 
 
 
What if I am immunocompromised and I want to take SOC 119 as an online course? 
Reach out to us and then we will consult with Penn State and get back to you. (staff@soc119.org). 
 
 
What if I am an international student and at the last minute, I have decided not to risk coming to University Park? Do I need to drop the SOC 119 class? 
Reach out to us and tell us of your plans. We will consult with Penn State and then get back in touch with you. (staff@soc119.org) 
 
 
What if I get Covid-19 during the semester? Or what if I must go into quarantine? Or what if I cannot attend class for an extended period because I am having surgery? 
We will follow Penn State guidelines, just like we do for any extended illness when instructors are asked to allow students to make up work that they have missed. 
  
 
How many times during the semester can I NOT come to 100 Thomas for the inperson class? 
You can decide to watch the recording instead of attending class on SIX different occasions throughout the semester. 
Remember, after watching the recording you will take a quiz on Canvas to earn the attendance points. 
 
 
Can I just stay home and watch the SOC 119 live stream instead of coming to the Thomas Building? 
Yes, but it will count as one of your SIX opportunities to miss the in-person class. 
FYI: SOC 119 is streamed on YouTube and Twitch every T/R @4:35-5:50pm. 
o We will make sure that you have the links 
 
 
Are there any days during the semester when class will be cancelled? 
There are 30 classes throughout the semester but there are only 28 in-person classes. 
We do NOT have class on: Thursday (Sept 2) and Tuesday (October 19). 
o Everyone will watch a recording of a “classic” SOC 119 lecture on those days.  
o These two classes (9/2 & 10/19) do NOT count toward the SIX days you do not have to be in class. o Technically speaking, therefore, there are EIGHT days total that you do not need to come to the Thomas Building. 
 
 
How do I receive attendance credit when I am in 100 Thomas? 
You log into TopHat on your phone while you are in the classroom, and you find that day’s attendance link. 
 
 
How do I receive attendance credit when I am watching the livestream or the recordings? 
Each class will have an associated quiz in Canvas that you will take AFTER you watch the livestream or the recording. The quiz will have questions pertaining to the class. 
The Canvas quiz will be available shortly after each class period. 
 
 
If I miss a class, how long do I have before I must watch the recording? 
The Canvas quiz will be open for three weeks after the end of each class. 
 
 
How will my attendance points be calculated? 
We will add up your points from TopHat and add them to your points from any of the Lecture Attendance Quizzes that you take on Canvas (i.e., the days that you were not in class) 
 
 
 
 
WHAT IS THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THE COURSE? 
 
To inspire you to think on your own terms regarding whatever it is we end up talking about in class. We shift the specific topics every semester according to what is in the news and what people are thinking about. Notice that the objective of the course is not to get you to think in any particular way, and it is certainly not to “teach” you something. Sam does not believe in “teaching” – his role is to stimulate you to think on your own terms. 
 
 
 
HOW CAN I SEE MY GRADES? 
 
Packback: Follow your progress on your personal Packback page 
Click on "Track My Own Participation" in the blue box on the right 
Click on “Discussion Posts” below the gray box and then scroll down to see each post that you have done 
TopHat: Follow your progress on the TopHat app (and we might update it on Canvas as we go along if we can get the sync function working between TopHat and Canvas) 
World in Conversation: Follow your progress on the WinC landing page when you’re logged in 
Make-up Lecture Participation Quizzes:  Canvas gradebook 
Readings and Videos Quizzes:  Canvas gradebook 
Syllabus Quiz:  Canvas gradebook 
 
 
 
EARN EXTRA CREDIT 
 
You can earn ONE extra credit point each day that you are selected to be a Case Study volunteer. 
 
You only receive the point if we select you as a Case Study volunteer and not simply by filling out the volunteer questionnaire 
 
You do NOT receive extra credit by randomly raising your hand and asking a question or making a comment during class. 
 
We will keep track and we will add the points to your Canvas grade at the end of the semester. 
 
The maximum extra credit you can earn is TWO points. 
 
You must fill out the volunteer survey and sign the Case Study Volunteer consent form to volunteer and receive the extra credit. 
 
 
TO VOLUNTEER:  www.soc119.org/volunteer 
 
 
 
 
ASSIGNMENTS 
 
 
SYLLABUS QUIZ - 4 points 
 
Read the syllabus and go through Canvas and the web site (www.soc119.org). Then take the quiz. You have three tries to get 100 percent and hopefully everyone manages to do that. This quiz is due on Sunday, September 26 at 11:59pm. 
 
 
 
READINGS and VIDEOS QUIZZES - 60 points 
 
There will be THREE quizzes for the course – all on Canvas.  The quizzes are made up of Multiple-Choice questions and will cover ONLY the readings and videos on the website for one of the three sections.  Each question on the quizzes is worth ONE point. The third quiz is not cumulative. Readings and videos are at (www.soc119.org). 
 
QUIZ ONE:  Opens in Canvas on Thursday (September 23) at 5:50pm and is due before Monday (September 27) at 11:59pm 
QUIZ TWO:  Opens in Canvas on Thursday (October 28) at 5:50pm and closes on Monday (November 1) at 11:59pm 
QUIZ THREE:  Opens in Canvas on Thursday (December 9) at 5:50pm and closes on Tuesday (December 14) at 11:59pm 
 
 
 
PACKBACK ASSIGNMENTS – 60 POINTS 
 
PURCHASING PACKBACK:  $20.00 (This is a special SOC 119 rate, and it is NOT optional.) 
 
STEPS FOR PURCHASING PACKBACK: 
 
STEP ONE:  Go to the SOC 119 Canvas page and find “Packback Questions” in the left column. Click on that and follow directions, including pay. 
 
  USE YOUR PENN STATE EMAIL ADDRESS 
 
STEP TWO:  Then log into:  https://www.packback.co/ 
 
STEP THREE:  Get started 
 
 
YOU ONLY GET CREDIT FOR ONE (1) SET OF PACKBACK ASSIGNMENTS EACH WEEK. IF YOU DO MORE THAN ONE, 
GOOD FOR YOU – BUT YOU WILL NOT GET SOC 119 CREDIT. 
 
 
 
CURIOSITY SCORE:  
 
In order to receive full points for these assignments, your Curiosity Score must be above the minimum threshold: 
 
80 for the Question-Answer submissions 
70 for the Response submissions 
 
MINIMUM WORD REQUIREMENT:  
 
250 for the Question-Answer submissions 
150 for the Response submissions 
 
 
 
Here are a few things to ensure that you reach the CS thresholds of 80/70: 
 
Do not have spelling errors 
Use paragraphs and make sure you write at least 250 words for new question and 150 for a response 
Include the link to the SOC 119 class YouTube video that you are commenting on while writing your Question Answer by clicking on the “Insert Video” tab (do not just put it in the middle of your text) 
There are no half credit responses, so you will either receive FULL points or ZERO points for your efforts 
 
 
IF YOUR CURIOSITY SCORE IS LESS THAN 80/70, JUST CLICK ON THE “OPTIONS” TAB AND EDIT YOUR SUBMISSION. 
 
You cannot edit your submission if someone has commented on it. If that happens, then just copy what you wrote and resubmit it with the changes that you want to make. So, for that week you will have two submissions and that is fine. 
 
 
TWELVE - Question-Answer Submissions – 36 points 
 
You submit twelve (12) of these assignments – one each week. You can forget on two different weeks, and you are still good and will not miss those points because on the final week of the semester you can make up TWO of your missed assignments. If you miss more than two, then you are out of luck because the system will only give you credit for UP TO 6 POINTS for two of these assignments during that final week. 
 
You receive THREE (3) points for each Question-Answer submission with a Curiosity Score at 80 or above. 
 
Each week you will select a segment from lecture that sparks a question in you. On the Packback platform, you will type in the question and provide the video link from the SOC 119 lecture that points to the part of class that addresses your question. Then you are going to answer your question in a minimum of 250 words. So, each submission will have three parts to it: 
 
1. Your question 
2. A “reflection video” link that you will get from the SOC 119 web site (www.soc119.org) 
3. Your 250-word response 
4. If you want, you can include another source in the Source box at the bottom 
 
We want you to use videos from more recent classes. It takes us a week to get videos up so focus on the previous three weeks of lecture when you are formulating your questions.  
 
Twelve of these submissions are due throughout the course of the semester, beginning during Week Three. However, during the final week of the semester you can make up TWO of these assignments if you miss two. Again, if you miss more than two, then you are out of luck because the system will only give you credit for UP TO 6 POINTS during that final week. 
 
 
 
HOW TO SUBMIT A NEW QUESTION IN PACKBACK:  
 
STEP ONE: Go to www.soc119.org and select a video segment from class about which you want to comment 
 
STEP THREE: Log into Packback and go to the SOC 119 page 
 
STEP FOUR: Click on “Ask a New Question” and type in the question that you want to answer pertaining to segment from class that you have selected   REMEMBER, USE OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS. 
 
STEP FIVE: Paste the YouTube link into the “Add a Video” box by clicking on the Insert Video tab (do not just paste it into your text) 
 
STEP SIX: Write a 250-word answer to your own question. Use paragraphs and do not make spelling errors. 
 
STEP SEVEN: Make sure your Curiosity Score is above 80 and then log out 
 
 
 
TWELVE - Response Submissions – 24 points 
 
Along with your weekly Question-Answer submission, each week you will also formulate ONE 150-word response to a classmate’s Question-Answer submission assignment that is posted on the Packback platform. For this response you MUST get your Curiosity Score to 70. 
 
Each Response Submission is worth TWO (2) points and each response must receive a “Curiosity Score” of at least 70 for you to receive the points.  
 
Twelve of these submissions are due throughout the course of the semester, beginning during Week Three. However, as with the Question-Answer submissions, during the final week of the semester you can make up TWO of these assignments if you miss two. If you miss more than two, then you are out of luck because the system will only give you credit for UP TO 4 POINTS during that final week. 
 
 
 
HOW TO SUBMIT A RESPONSE TO A CLASSMATE’S QUESTION IN PACKBACK:  
 
STEP ONE: Log into Packback and scroll through the Question-Answer submissions from other students on the SOC 119 Packback page  
 
STEP TWO: Read through questions from your classmates to find one that you would like to talk about. We pin what we think are some of the more interesting ones at the top. 
 
STEP THREE: Start your Response submission by clicking "Add Response" on someone’s question. Or provide a counter/supporting point to a classmate’s response by selecting "Add Response" on someone’s reply.  
 
STEP FOUR: Check your Curiosity score and make sure that it is at least 70 (remember there is no half credit) and make sure you hit 150 words. 
 
 
 
 
VERY IMPORTANT: 
 
These assignments are due on Sundays at 11:59pm. If you submit them after 11:59pm, then they count toward the next week’s required assignments – which means that you do not have to do them during that next week. But keep track because you can only miss TWO and still “retrieve” the points during the final week of the semester. Again, you can only “retrieve” a max of 10 total points. 
 
 
 
Lecture Participation – 56 Points 
 
Throughout each lecture class on Tuesday and Thursday (4:35 – 5:50pm) we will open two Top Hat poll questions to give you a chance to tell us that you are in 100 Thomas. There will be two poll questions per class – one at the beginning and one at the end. This means that you will receive TWO total points for attendance each lecture. You will get 2/2 if you participate in BOTH Top Hat poll questions but if you miss one of them, then you will get just one of the two possible points.  
 
If you are paying attention, then you WILL get the points and we will announce that the question is up. Once we announce, then you have 75 seconds to answer. 
 
 
 
 
WATCHING CLASS RECORDINGS OUTSIDE OF CLASS TIME 
 
We will allow you to not be in 100 Thomas (i.e., “miss class”) and either watch the livestream in real time or watch the recorded class lectures outside of class time (i.e., T/R @ 4:35pm) on SIX different occasions throughout the semester AND STILL RECEIVE YOUR TWO LECTURE CLASS PARTICIPATION POINTS. Your attendance grade for these late lectures will be based on Canvas quizzes that will have FOUR questions about the information discussed during the corresponding lectures. These four questions are each worth 0.5 points, adding up to a total of 2 points per quiz, the same number of points that you would be able to receive through Top Hat during the live lectures. 
 
These Canvas quizzes will open after class (generally within 15-20 minutes) after the end of class and will remain open for three weeks. After that they close, we are not reopening them. Therefore, you cannot wait until the end of the semester to make up class work. 
 
We are going to say this another way: 
YOU CAN ONLY EARN UP TO TWELVE (12) ATTENDANCE POINTS WATCHING 
RECORDINGS OF THE CLASS – which means that if you want FULL credit, then you can only miss class SIX (6) times. 
 
 
 
NOTE: If you have an ongoing medical issue that requires that you miss class on a regular basis or for an extended period, contact the SOC 119 staff (staff@soc119.org) and let us know what is going on. 
  
 
 
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:  Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception and is an educational objective of this institution.  Academic dishonesty includes cheating, plagiarizing, or facilitating acts of dishonesty of others, having unauthorized possession of examinations, submitting work of another person. 
 
 
 
 
World in Conversation Dialogue - 45 points 
 
Throughout the course of the semester, you need to have completed SIX World in Conversation dialogues. 
 
Five (5) of these are “local” – meaning that you will speak with other students in the class and maybe a few outside of class (7 points each) 
One (1) of these is “global” – meaning that students from Afghanistan, Iraq, Colombia, Brazil, and Russia will be in the dialogues with you (10 points) 
 
Again, each of the “Local dialogues” worth 7 points toward your final SOC 119 grade while the “Global dialogue” is worth 10 points toward your final SOC 119 grade.  
 
All Global Dialogues occur in Zoom. 
The Local Dialogues will occur both in Zoom rooms and in rooms in Pond Lab where you will sit in circles. You can decide which ones you would like to do, although on some days (e.g., Sundays) all dialogues happen in Zoom. 
Each dialogue is 95 minutes, and you must be in the room the entire time 
You can only register for ONE dialogue at a time per two-week period 
One of the SIX dialogues must be a Global Dialogue 
Please do NOT register for more than one Global Dialogue. You can attend more if you want to just sit in, but do not register for it. 
If you miss a dialogue for which you are registered or arrive more than 10 minutes late and are not allowed in the room, you will have to make it up. HOWEVER, during the final week of the semester you can only make-up ONE dialogue.  
If you are required to have a World in Conversation dialogue for another course, it cannot “double count” for this one and this assignment cannot “double count” for your other course. 
 
More information about this assignment will be posted on the web site and send to you via email. However, please not the following information about registration: 
 
Here is how this works: Every two weeks you must complete one of your World in Conversation dialogues. It is up to you to get them in during that two-week period. If something happens and you miss one, then re-register for it during that two-week window. If you cannot fit a dialogue in or there are no available seats, then you will have an opportunity to make ONE of them up during the final week of the semester.  
 
Please note: 
 
YOU CAN ONLY MAKE UP ONE OF SIX REQUIRED DIALOGUES AND WE CANNOT GUARANTEE ENOUGH SEATS DURING THAT LAST WEEK IF DEMAND IS TOO HIGH.  
 
Let us say that again: During the final week of the semester, we cannot have unlimited dialogues available for people to attend. As such, there will be competition for the seats that will be available for make-up groups, and you might not get registered. Our best advice is that you do not slack on this assignment, or you will be in dire straits at the end of the term. 
 
 
World in Conversation Dialogue Schedule for SOC 119: 
 
Block 1: Sunday, September 5 - Saturday, September 18  
Block 2: Sunday, September 19 - Saturday, October 2  
Block 3: Sunday, October 3 - Saturday, October 16  
Block 4: Sunday, October 17 - Saturday, October 30  
Block 5: Sunday, October 31 - Saturday, November 13  
Block 6: Sunday, November 14 - Saturday, December 4  
Make up groups: Sunday, December 5 - Thursday, December 9  
 
 
If you have any questions or issues regarding your World in Conversation account, scheduling, or about the dialogues themselves, please contact the WinC office by phone at (814) 865-5692 or fill out a help form at www.worldinconversation.org/help and someone will get back to you within 24 hours.  
 
 
 
 
WEEKLY SCHEDULE  
 
 
WEEK ONE: T/Th August 24 & 26 
 
Assignments: 
 
Read the syllabus 
Register for Packback by going into Canvas and clicking on “Packback Questions” on the left side of the course page (it will cost $20 for this course – as we get a discount) WEEK TWO: T/Th August 26 & September 2 
 
Assignments: 
 
Take the Syllabus Quiz on Canvas – it is due by Sunday, September 26 at 11:59pm 
Check your email for the World in Conversation registration link  
 
 
 
WEEK THREE: T/Th September 7 & 9 
 
Assignments: 
 
Packback submission (#1) is due by 11:59pm on Sunday, September 12     
Register for and complete World in Conversation Dialogue (Block #1) – either this week or next 
 
 
 
WEEK FOUR: T/Th September 14 & 16 
 
Assignments: 
 
Packback submission (#2) is due by 11:59pm on Sunday, September 19    
Register for and complete World in Conversation Dialogue (Block #1) – if you did not do it last week 
 
 
 
WEEK FIVE: T/Th September 21 & 23  
 
Assignments: 
 
Packback submission (#3) is due by 11:59pm on Sunday, September 26       
World in Conversation Dialogue (Block #2) – either this week or next 
FIRST QUIZ - opens in Canvas on Thursday (September 23) at 5:50pm and closes on Monday (September 27) at 11:59pm 
 
 
 
WEEK SIX: T/Th September 28 & 30 
 
Assignments: 
 
Packback submission (#4) is due by 11:59pm on Sunday, October 3    
World in Conversation Dialogue (Block #2) – if you did not do it last week 
 
 
 
WEEK SEVEN: T/Th October 5 & 7  
 
Assignments: 
 
Packback submission (#5) is due by 11:59pm on Sunday, October 10      
World in Conversation Dialogue (Block #3) – either this week or next 
 
 
 
WEEK EIGHT: T/Th October 12 & 14   
 
Assignments: 
 
Packback submission (#6) is due by 11:59pm on Sunday, October 17   
World in Conversation Dialogue (Block #3) – if you did not do it last week 
 
 
 
WEEK NINE: T/Th October 19 & 21 
 
Assignments: 
 
Packback submission (#7) is due by 11:59pm on Sunday, October 24     
World in Conversation Dialogue (Block #4) – either this week or next 
No class in 100 Thomas on Tuesday, October 19 
 
 
 
 
WEEK TEN: T/Th October 26 & 28  
 
Assignments: 
 
Packback submission (#8) is due by 11:59pm on Sunday, October 31   
World in Conversation Dialogue (Block #4) – if you did not do it last week 
SECOND QUIZ - opens in Canvas on Thursday (October 28) at 5:50pm and closes on Monday (November 1) at 11:59pm 
 
 
 
 
WEEK ELEVEN: T/Th November 2 & 4  Assignments: 
 
Packback submission (#9) is due by 11:59pm on Sunday, November 7     
World in Conversation Dialogue (Block #5) – either this week or next 
 
 
 
 
WEEK TWELVE: T/Th November 9 & 11 
 
Assignments: 
 
Packback submission (#10) is due by 11:59pm on Sunday, November 14   
World in Conversation Dialogue (Block #5) – if you did not do it last week 
 
 
 
WEEK THIRTEEN: T/Th November 16 & 18 
 
Assignments: 
 
Packback submission (#11) is due by 11:59pm on Sunday, November 21     
World in Conversation Dialogue (Block #6) – either this week or next 
 
 
 
WEEK FOURTEEN: T/Th November 2 & December 2 
 
Assignments: 
 
Packback submission (#12) is due by 11:59pm on Sunday, December 5  
World in Conversation Dialogue (Block #6) – if you did not do it last week 
 
 
 
WEEK FIFTEEN: T/Th December 7 & 9 
 
Assignments: 
 
You have until Friday, December 10 at 11:59pm to make up TWO of any missed Packback assignments that you have (so two Question-Answer submissions and two Response submissions). Packback closes on December 10 at 11:59pm and there will be no exceptions so do not ask. 
You can make up ONE of your missed World in Conversation dialogues during this week. 
THIRD QUIZ - opens in Canvas on Thursday (December 9) at 5:50pm and closes on Tuesday (December 14) at 11:59pm 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Pennsylvania State University encourages qualified persons with disabilities to participate  in its programs and activities.  If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation in this course or have questions about physical access, please tell the instructor as soon as possible. 
 
 
Penn State University requires everyone to wear a face mask in all university buildings, including classrooms, regardless of vaccination status. ALL STUDENTS MUST wear a mask appropriately (i.e., covering both your mouth and nose) while you are indoors on campus.  This is to protect your health and safety as well as the health and safety of your classmates, instructor, and the university community.   Anyone attending class without a mask will be asked to put one on or leave.  Instructors may end class if anyone present refuses to appropriately wear a mask for the duration of class. Students who refuse to wear masks appropriately may face disciplinary action for Code of Conduct violations.  If you feel you cannot wear a mask during class, please speak with your adviser immediately about your options for altering your schedule. 
 
We reserve the right to make some small changes in the syllabus. 
 
 
 
QUIZZES 
   Syllabus Quiz   4 points    Quiz #1 (in-class)  20 points 
   Quiz #2 (in-class)  20 points 
   Quiz #3 (in-class)  20 points 
 
 
PARTICIPATION 
   Lecture Participation Quizzes    56 points 
 
 
ASSIGNMENTS   
   PACKBACK Question-Answer Submissions  36 points 
   PACKBACK Response Submissions    24 points 
   World in Conversation Dialogues  45 points 
 
 
  TOTAL: 225 POINTS 
 
   
           Points: Percentages: 
   
 
  225 - 214 = A (100% - 95.1%) 
  213 - 210 = A- (95% - 93.33%)  
  209 - 205 = B+ (93.32% - 91.11%) 
  204 - 195 = B (91.10% - 86.66%) 
  194 – 191 = B- (86.65% - 84.88%) 
  190 – 185 = C+ (84.87% - 82.22%)  
  184 – 171 = C (82.21% - 76%) 
  170 – 149 = D (75.99% - 66.22%) 
  148 and below (66.21% - 0%)  

 
 
 
 
By the way: 
 
Just over 50 percent of the class will receive an “A” for the final grade and another 20 percent will end up with an “A-” as the final grade.  
 
That’s how this class works – even with what seems to be a very rigorous grading scale. 
 
The reason that so many people get high grades is because they do the work. So, if you do not receive the grade that you want or expect or think you deserve, realize that SOC 119N is actually a very fair class since nearly three quarters of the students receive an “A or A-” as a final grade. 
 
There is no “official” Penn State grading policy or grading scale. Penn State “suggests” certain criteria for grading but by no means is 91-100% “supposed” to result in an “A” grade. As such, SOC 119 is fully in line with Penn State policies. 
 
===
You Can't Say That
Soc 119
Education
 5.0 • 6 Ratings
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FEB 5, 2020Episode # 16 - Coronavirus, German Connection to Nazis & Changes To This Semester
Episode # 16 - Coronavirus, German Connection…
Welcome to episode sixteen of You Can’t Say That! A Soc 119 Podcast about the class, culture & other topics.  Today’s podcast we cover China's Coronavirus and its impact to the e…
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1 hr 1 min
JAN 24, 2020A Quick Update - Podcast Restarting Next Week!
A Quick Update - Podcast Restarting Next Week!
Hey everyone, we did not forget about you. We have been too busy to have a podcast recording. However, we are planning on starting back up next week (Jan 31st) so expect to see the fir…
 PLAY
2 min
NOV 26, 2019Episode # 15 - Getting Triggered, Current Events & The Bible
Episode # 15 - Getting Triggered, Current Event…
Welcome to episode fourteen of You Can’t Say That! A Soc 119 Podcast about the class, culture & other topics. Today’s podcast we cover trigger warnings, what makes someone trig…
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1 hr 26 min
NOV 21, 2019Episode # 14 - The Pedagogy, Misunderstanding and Intentions of Sam's Teaching
Episode # 14 - The Pedagogy, Misunderstandin…
Welcome to episode fourteen of You Can’t Say That! A Soc 119 Podcast about the class, culture & other topics. Today’s podcast we cover Sam's teaching practices, what lessons he …
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1 hr 20 min
NOV 13, 2019Episode # 13 - Korean Beauty Standards, Military Service and Parenting
Episode # 13 - Korean Beauty Standards, Militar…
Welcome to episode thirteen of You Can’t Say That! A Soc 119 Podcast about the class, culture & other topics. In this episode of the podcast we talk about the following topics (in order):S…
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50 min
NOV 4, 2019Episode # 12: Choice & Chance, Racial Jokes, and Cultural Appropriation
Episode # 12: Choice & Chance, Racial Jokes, an…
Welcome to episode #12 of You Can’t Say That! A Soc 119 Podcast about the class, culture & other topics. In this episode of the podcast we talk about the following topics (in order):S…
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1 hr 29 min
OCT 29, 2019Episode #11: Selective Avoidance, Corruption and LGBT Issues
Episode #11: Selective Avoidance, Corruption an…
Welcome to episode 11 of You Can’t Say That! A Soc 119 Podcast about the class, culture & other topics. In this episode of the podcast we talk about the following topics (in order):S…
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1 hr 33 min
OCT 25, 2019Episode #10: The Rise of ISIS, Interacting with ISIS and Reporting in Iraq
Episode #10: The Rise of ISIS, Interacting with I…
Welcome to episode 10 of You Can’t Say That! A Soc 119 Podcast about the class, culture & other topics. In this episode of the podcast we talk about the following topics (in order):S…
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1 hr 33 min
OCT 16, 2019Episode #9: The Politics of Hair, Police State v. The People & Generalizations
Episode #9: The Politics of Hair, Police State v. T…
Welcome to episode nine of You Can’t Say That! A Soc 119 Podcast about the class, culture & other topics. In this episode of the podcast we talk about the following topics (in order):S…
 PLAY
1 hr 30 min
OCT 9, 2019Episode #8: Skin Talk, Giving up Ancestry & Claiming Other Ethnicities
Episode #8: Skin Talk, Giving up Ancestry & Clai…
Welcome to episode 8 of You Can’t Say That! A Soc 119 Podcast about the class, culture & other topics. In this episode of the podcast we talk about the following topics (in order):S…
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1 hr 29 min
Show 7 More Episodes
© Soc 119
Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5
6 Ratings
 


===
QUIZ READINGS AND VIDEOS
skeletonstudying.jpg


While there are no books that you need to purchase for the course. Just the readings/videos at these links.

Only the readings and videos Quiz One are linked right now.

You will definitely want to subscribe to the New York Times. IT IS FREE!!!

Quiz One - Readings and Videos — Opens in Canvas on Thursday (September 23) at 5:50pm and closes on Monday (September 27 at 11:59pm

(There are 20 questions and the readings/videos will take you about 3.75 hours to complete)

Quiz Two - Readings and Videos — Opens in Canvas on Thursday (October 28) at 5:50pm and closes on Monday (November 1) at 11:59pm

(There are 20 questions and the readings/videos will take you about 4.5 hours to complete)

Quiz Three - Readings and Videos — Opens in Canvas on Thursday (December 9) at 5:50pm and closes on Tuesday (December 14) at 11:59pm  (There are 20 questions and the readings/videos will take you about 4.5 hours to complete)

Here are some things to think about as you’re studying for the exams:

1. The exams only account for a portion of your overall grade. If you want an A, then you need to do well on them but you could get 100 percent on each quiz and still end up with a C don’t do the other assignments or come to class.

2. You really have to read the readings and watch the videos. It’s not a lot of work but you will NOT do well if you don’t do the work. This is not an exam for which you can guess at the answers and get a good grade.

3. Far too many of you won’t take what we just wrote above seriously and you’ll just skip over or skim through the readings/videos on the first quiz. Bad idea…but you’ll learn or you’ll decide that C’s and B’s earn degrees And they do.

4. Aside from actually reading articles and watching videos, the only advice that we can give to you is that you should concentrate while doing so. People who do really well on exams after studying at the last minute are able to do so because they concentrate and don’t daydream while they’re underlining words that they’ve never actually understood when they first read over them.

5. The exam questions are not meant to be tricky or difficult. In fact, we WANT you to get the questions correct because it would indicate that you actually read or watched the material. You don’t have to memorize numbers and percentages and names and so on — unless it’s something that truly stands out in the article/video.
===

You Can't Say That


Soc 119

Education

5.0 • 6 Ratings



Listen on Apple Podcasts





APR 9, 2020Episode # 22 - Education's Response and Conspiracies of COVID-19, and Experiences Outside the USA

Episode # 22 - Education's Response and Consp…
Welcome to episode twenty-two of You Can’t Say That! A Soc 119 Podcast about the class, culture & other topics. Today’s podcast we cover how the educational realm of schools and …
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33 min

APR 1, 2020Episode # 21 - Corona in the USA and Asian Racism

Episode # 21 - Corona in the USA and Asian Raci…
Welcome to episode twenty-one of You Can’t Say That! A Soc 119 Podcast about the class, culture & other topics. Today’s podcast we cover the Coronavirus coming into the United Sta…
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58 min

MAR 30, 2020Episode # 20 - Peace Agreement in Afghanistan, Sharia Law and Conflict Resolutions

Episode # 20 - Peace Agreement in Afghanistan…
Welcome to episode twenty of You Can’t Say That! A Soc 119 Podcast about the class, culture & other topics. Today’s podcast we have Rafi and Mr. Rashidi from Afghanistan on to …
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1 hr 15 min

MAR 6, 2020Episode # 19 - Political Party Rule of Law, Democratic Primaries, and Communist Countries

Episode # 19 - Political Party Rule of Law, Demo…
Welcome to episode nineteen of You Can’t Say That! A Soc 119 Podcast about the class, culture & other topics. Today’s podcast we cover the differences and similarities between bo…
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52 min

FEB 26, 2020Episode # 18 - War for Oil and Democracy, Socialism and Communism, and 2020 Political Discussion

Episode # 18 - War for Oil and Democracy, Socia…
Welcome to episode 18 of You Can’t Say That! A Soc 119 Podcast about the class, culture & other topics. Today’s podcast we cover the reasons the United States went to War …
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1 hr 13 min

FEB 24, 2020Episode # 17 - Noticing Racial Differences is Racist, Credible Sources, and Black Families

Episode # 17 - Noticing Racial Differences is Rac…
Welcome to episode 17 of You Can’t Say That! A Soc 119 Podcast about the class, culture & other topics. Today’s podcast we cover if noticing racial differences in racist or not…
PLAY
1 hr 2 min

FEB 5, 2020Episode # 16 - Coronavirus, German Connection to Nazis & Changes To This Semester

Episode # 16 - Coronavirus, German Connection…
Welcome to episode sixteen of You Can’t Say That! A Soc 119 Podcast about the class, culture & other topics. Today’s podcast we cover China's Coronavirus and its impact to the e…
PLAY
1 hr 1 min

JAN 24, 2020A Quick Update - Podcast Restarting Next Week!

A Quick Update - Podcast Restarting Next Week!
Hey everyone, we did not forget about you. We have been too busy to have a podcast recording. However, we are planning on starting back up next week (Jan 31st) so expect to see the fir…
PLAY
2 min

NOV 26, 2019Episode # 15 - Getting Triggered, Current Events & The Bible

Episode # 15 - Getting Triggered, Current Event…
Welcome to episode fourteen of You Can’t Say That! A Soc 119 Podcast about the class, culture & other topics. Today’s podcast we cover trigger warnings, what makes someone trig…
PLAY
1 hr 26 min

NOV 21, 2019Episode # 14 - The Pedagogy, Misunderstanding and Intentions of Sam's Teaching

Episode # 14 - The Pedagogy, Misunderstandin…
Welcome to episode fourteen of You Can’t Say That! A Soc 119 Podcast about the class, culture & other topics. Today’s podcast we cover Sam's teaching practices, what lessons he …
PLAY
1 hr 20 min

NOV 13, 2019Episode # 13 - Korean Beauty Standards, Military Service and Parenting

Episode # 13 - Korean Beauty Standards, Militar…
Welcome to episode thirteen of You Can’t Say That! A Soc 119 Podcast about the class, culture & other topics. In this episode of the podcast we talk about the following topics (in order):S…
PLAY
50 min

NOV 4, 2019Episode # 12: Choice & Chance, Racial Jokes, and Cultural Appropriation

Episode # 12: Choice & Chance, Racial Jokes, an…
Welcome to episode #12 of You Can’t Say That! A Soc 119 Podcast about the class, culture & other topics. In this episode of the podcast we talk about the following topics (in order):S…
PLAY
1 hr 29 min

OCT 29, 2019Episode #11: Selective Avoidance, Corruption and LGBT Issues

Episode #11: Selective Avoidance, Corruption an…
Welcome to episode 11 of You Can’t Say That! A Soc 119 Podcast about the class, culture & other topics. In this episode of the podcast we talk about the following topics (in order):S…
PLAY
1 hr 33 min

OCT 25, 2019Episode #10: The Rise of ISIS, Interacting with ISIS and Reporting in Iraq

Episode #10: The Rise of ISIS, Interacting with I…
Welcome to episode 10 of You Can’t Say That! A Soc 119 Podcast about the class, culture & other topics. In this episode of the podcast we talk about the following topics (in order):S…
PLAY
1 hr 33 min

OCT 16, 2019Episode #9: The Politics of Hair, Police State v. The People & Generalizations

Episode #9: The Politics of Hair, Police State v. T…
Welcome to episode nine of You Can’t Say That! A Soc 119 Podcast about the class, culture & other topics. In this episode of the podcast we talk about the following topics (in order):S…
PLAY
1 hr 30 min

OCT 9, 2019Episode #8: Skin Talk, Giving up Ancestry & Claiming Other Ethnicities

Episode #8: Skin Talk, Giving up Ancestry & Clai…
Welcome to episode 8 of You Can’t Say That! A Soc 119 Podcast about the class, culture & other topics. In this episode of the podcast we talk about the following topics (in order):S…
PLAY
1 hr 29 min
Show 7 More Episodes
© Soc 119

Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5
6 Ratings










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