Review for Cumulative Closed-book Assessment

Well it's almost here: your IS 100 final exam. The review sheet is now available. I will be posting information about a review session shortly. I will be holding a review session from 4-5 PM on Tuesday in 105 Buckman Hall.

When taking the final, section 01 (that's 10:00 AM) meets at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, May 1. Section 02 (that's 11:00 AM) meets at 5:30 PM on Friday, May 3. You must request my permission if you want to switch sections; at the moment there is no more room in the Wednesday final.

Remember to bring a blue book. Pencil is acceptable, but I prefer you use pen. I wish you good luck, but I also wish you the foresight to put yourself in a position where good luck is unnecessary.

Watch "Charlie Wilson's War" for Monday, 4/08

Charlie Wilson’s War is up and running on the class’ Moodle page. Let me know if you need help accessing it.

Note: feel free to skip over the first scene, which is about character development--not plot or politics--and includes gratuitous depictions of the female form that some might find superfluous and/or objectionable. You're all adults, so I'll let you make the call.

Consider the following—and come to class ready to discuss—as you watch:

• What examples of the exercise of power do we witness in Charlie Wilson’s War?
• What types of war take place in the film?
• What types of security management do we see in the film?
• What biases might the story be subject to, or, what might this story be leaving out?
• What questions does the movie raise for you?

Also address these questions in your critical responses. Share your responses to (some of) these questions in the comments for additional participation credit.

Review for Second Closed-book Assessment

Your second Closed-book Assessment takes place in class this Monday.

It is similar to the format of the first exam, with the caveat that you need to cite articles from the reader (maroon book) that relate to the identification term by author or title. This test is 10% of your final grade.

You may download the review sheet here. I have also scheduled a review session this Friday from 4-5 PM in Buckman 103. If you review questions but cannot make the review session, feel free to set up an appointment with me, drop by during office hours or send me an email.

Remember to bring blue exam booklets to class. If you require special accommodations, please let me know so we can make arrangements.

Midterm Course Evaluations

Today, I handed out progress reports assessing your performance in this course to date. Now, I would like you to assess my progress.

Please head to the link below and fill out the midterm course evaluation. Most of the questions are required, excepting the final free response question. It should take you five minutes, at most.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3P6G7TJ

I am looking to get 75% saturation on this survey, and I won't stop bugging you until I get it.

Unlike end-of-course evaluations, these will actually help me make this class better, rather than the next one I teach. Thus, if you think you can benefit from some changes (or strongly believe things should stay the same), here is your chance to let me know--anonymously.

First Closed-book Assessment

Your first Closed-book Assessment takes place in class on Monday, February 11. As the title states, this is a closed-book exam. Please be sure to supply your own pen and blue book.

If you did not pick up a copy of the review sheet in class (or have since misplaced it) you may download a copy.

In addition, I am holding a review session in 222 Buckman Hall this Wednesday, February 6, from 4-5 PM. If you cannot make it but would like to discuss the review terms or the test itself, you should stop by my office hours on Wed or make an appointment.

You may also ask me questions about the review terms via email, but keep in mind that I will be out of town from Thursday night through Sunday night, and may not be the quickest to respond. Your current events discussion on Friday will also center around the review sheet.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me during class, stop by my office or send me an email.

Studying for the Map Quiz

Molly directed me to a website that can help you with your Geography Assessment grade. While memorization is really the only route to succeeding on the Map Test, you can practice with Sporkle.

Sporkle: Geography Quizzes

Beware, the regions on the website don't match up with the regions on your quizzes and tests. Nevertheless, they may still help you study. If you can think of any other resources that you'd like to share with the class, email them to me or share them in the comments.

Required Readings

Welcome to the Spring 2013 semester at Rhodes College. As we begin our IS 100 course, please make sure you have all the required reading materials.

First, you need the textbook: Essentials of International Relations, 5th Edition by Mingst & Arreguin-Toft. Second, you need the course reader: Essential Readings in World Politics, 4th Edition by Mingst & Snyder.

On the blog and in the syllabus, the former book will be referred to as "International Relations" and the second as "Readings." Both "International Relations" and "Readings" are available in the campus bookstore. You must have the most recent versions; older editions will not suffice.

Second, you need a subscription to the Economist. Yes, it is unconventional to assign a magazine as required reading for a college course, but the Economist is the best popular periodical in the English language for keeping up with international politics.

It is typically a very expensive magazine, but luckily for you they offer a very significant student discount. If you go to https://www.economistsubscriptions.com/ecom26/global/ and click on "Student Subscriptions," you can subscribe to the first four weeks for free and the next twenty-one for just under $40. That will take you through the semester and beyond. If you want to keep reading after that, it's up to you.

You’re welcome to share with classmates—and it’s available in the library— but you need to have access one way or another. First delivery may take two weeks, but digital access is immediate.

We will rely on the Economist throughout the semester to analyze current events using the analytical tools you will acquire in this course. We will also use it to enhance your fulfillment of the International Studies Department's geography requirement.