The history of skiing and snowboarding and/or
The cultural studies of skiing and snowboarding
Cultural and Historical Perspectives (CHP): Students will enhance their fundamental CHP by means of gaining historical knowledge of skiing/snowboarding and pursuing relevant interpretations. Students will interpret their own experiences and encounters by means of their improved historical knowledge. For CHP we will focus upon integrating the historical context, cultural encounters, and personal reflection (interpretation).
PURPOSE: to provide contextual knowledge, develop interpretative capacity
From the Alaska Pacific University Catalog
Cultural & Historical Perspective
- Cultural and historical perspective involves analysis, appreciative and critical, of how humans have documented, theorized, represented, and imagined existence. Perspective requires the capacity to consider ideas and issues in relation to larger contexts so as to demonstrate accurate and fair understanding of situations. Cultural and historical perspective requires the ability to interpret human expression in our own time and through the centuries, reflect on intellectual traditions and creative endeavors, and develop understanding of one’s own and others’ worldviews. Effectively demonstrated, cultural and historical perspective engages enduring questions of life, religion, consciousness, and creativity with contemporary attention to individual, community, and cultural values.
- Foundational Competency – Students demonstrate ability to interpret and compare intellectual traditions, creative endeavors, and cultural and spiritual worldviews..
Compose a FIVE PARAGRAPH THEMATIC ESSAY
Paragraph One: Introduce a theme or thesis of your own selection or develop one of the prompts below. The theme should relate to skiing/snowboarding in some clear fashion. Your theme or thesis can have elements of definition, complication, or points of view.
Paragraph Two: Develop your theme with a specific SOURCE. The source MUST be from one of the texts listed below.
Paragraph Three: Continue to develop your theme with a SECOND SPECIFIC SOURCE. The source may be from anything we read, experienced, or encountered during the course.
Paragraph Four: Continue to develop your theme with a THIRD SPECIFIC SOURCE. The source may be from anything we read, experienced, or encountered during the course.
Paragraph Five: Integrate your theme with your sources, suggest a conclusion or further aspect for study.
Submit your essay via email to mkaplan@alaskapacific.edu
Evaluation Criteria: efforts will be graded for critical content, soundness of argument, clarity of writing.
Reading List: Sick (all of it!) and/or Two Planks and a Passion (selections according to your interest) and read To the Extreme (pages 373-425) and Explore the National Geographic Article ‘On the Trail with The First Skiers’ by Mark Jenkins. (here is another way to read the Jenkins piece https://docs.google.com/document/d/114BQRWBulTXajWB3y5v9-CjjW1MuzIq122BmOICL-h0/edit ) Read Holly Thorpe interview in Doglotion.
Consume the 2016 multimedia New York Times article ‘The Coolest Scene in Snowboarding? The Coast of Rhode Island’ link,
Select an article or essay from Skiing History Magazine, link:
https://www.skiinghistory.org/skiing-history-magazine
Select a podcast from The SkiBum Podcast, link https://skibumpodcast.com/podcast/
Find a recent podcast or article or youtube about the social and cultural history of skiing/snowboarding and run it by Kappy.
Additional media text:
This Is What It’s Like Inside North Korea’s Luxury Ski Resort | Short Film Showcase
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csoP8Didoi0
Prompts include:
1) Place your current learning of Alpine Sports into historical context. Illustrate a historical theme of skiing/snowboarding by means of your experience during this course.
2) Reflect upon the identity of skiing and snowboarding, as a national symbol , a fashion, or as a sport. Draw upon the texts and your experience in your discussion.
3) What is authentic skiing/snowboarding?
4) Create your own Prompt, with prior approval of the instructor.
Submit your essay via blackboard course site.
Assignment #4 Rubric
| Novice | Competent | Proficient | Excellent | |
| Content | The thesis is not clear, Much of the material may be irrelevant to the overall topic or inaccurate. Details are lacking. Appropriate sources were not consulted. | The thesis may be somewhat unclear. Some material and evidence support the thesis. Some of the material is relevant, and some is not. Details are lacking. Information may include some inaccuracies. At least some sources were appropriate. | The thesis is clear. An adequate amount of material is relevant. This material includes details. Information is mostly accurate; any inaccuracies are minor and do not interfere with the points made. Appropriate sources were consulted. | The thesis is clear. A large amount and variety of material and evidence support the thesis. All material is relevant. This material includes details. Information is accurate. Appropriate sources were consulted. |
| Reasoning and Evidence | Information is not related to the point(s) the material is intended to support. Information is not organized in a logical manner. Material does not flow. Information is presented as a sequence of unrelated material. | Some of the information is related to the point(s) the material is intended to support, but connections are not explained. Information is not entirely organized in a logical manner, although some structure is apparent. Flow is choppy. Introductions, transitions, and other connecting material may be lacking or unsuccessful. | Information is clearly related to the point(s) the material is intended to support, although not all connections may be explained. Information is organized in a logical manner. Flow is adequate. Introductions, transitions, and other connection materials take the listener/reader along for the most part. Any abrupt transitions do not interfere with intended meaning. | Information is clearly and explicitly related to the point(s) the material is intended to support. Information is organized in a logical manner and is presented concisely. Flow is good. Introductions, transitions, and other connection materials take the listener/reader along. |
| Clarity of Written Expression | Major errors of grammar and usage make meaning unclear. Language style and word choice are ineffective and/or inappropriate. | Major errors of grammar and usage begin to interfere with meaning. Language style and word choice are simple, bland, or otherwise not very effective or not entirely appropriate. | Some errors of grammar and usage; errors do not interfere with meaning. Language style and word choice are for the most part effective and appropriate to the project. | Few errors of grammar and usage; any minor errors do not interfere with meaning. Language style and word choice are highly effective and enhance meaning. Style and word choice are appropriate to the project. |
| Cultural and Historical Perspectives | The writing does not bring in or reference historical or cultural implications for the thesis. Perspectives are absent, or misrepresented according to the assigned reading. | The writing vaguely integrates historical or cultural implications for the thesis and conclusion. Perspectives are weakly developed or represented. | The writing integrates historical or cultural implications throughout for the thesis and conclusion, though with some inaccuracies. Perspectives are reasonably developed and represented. | The writing accurately integrates historical and cultural implications for the thesis and conclusion throughout. Perspectives are well-developed and represented accurately. |
SHREDEDX 