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Paideia 111/112: Enduring Questions

Enduring Questions is a two-semester course that Luther students take in their first year. This common element is vital—all sections share a syllabus. Throughout the year, all Luther first-year students read the same works (though the class assignments related to the works may vary). The best class discussions extend into residence halls and cafeteria tables.

Enduring Questions sections allow face-to-face learning, with no more than 19 students per section. The course is taught by faculty from every academic division—studies works drawn from across the disciplines. It provides a base of skills you will use throughout your college experience.

It models the ideals of the liberal arts because:

The most important questions draw on a range of perspectives for their answers
The best answers draw not only on facts but on the wisdom of a well-developed sensibility
Education develops your potential, not just for a job, but for an active social, political, and inner life

Research projects are part of every student’s experience of Paideia 112. Each spring, select students present their Paideia projects at the Learning at Luther Showcase.

Paideia Syllabi

Spring 2024 Syllabus

Paideia 112 Spring 2024

“What is the common good?”

Unit 1: Historical Research and the Common Good

Friday, February 2

Kenneth Greenberg, ed., The Confessions of Nat Turner
Introduction to the unit (Reader 16-22, and linked here since you don’t yet have those pages )
- (Reader p. 23, and linked here)

Monday, February 5

Greenberg introduction: “The Text” (5-11)
“The Confessions of Nat Turner”(Greenberg 36-56)
Grid for Nat Turner Source notes (make your own copy to fill in)
Reading Questions #2-6, (Reader, p. 23)

Wednesday, February 7

In Greenberg:
- “The Richmond Compiler, August 24, 1831,” “The Constitutional Whig, August 29, 1831,” “The Richmond Enquirer, August 30, 1831,” and “The Liberator, September 3, 1831” (59-70)
- “Trial of Lucy” (95-96);
- “Nat Turner’s Trial Record, Excerpt from the Court Records of Southampton County, 1831” (98-100);
- Excerpts from the Diary of Virginia Governor John Floyd (101-107)
- Letter from Virginia Governor John Floyd to South Carolina Governor James Hamilton, Jr., November 19, 1831 (107-109)
Reading Questions # 7-14 (Reader p. 23)

Friday, February 9

In Greenberg:
- Thomas R. Dew, Abolition of Negro Slavery, September and December 1832 (110-118)
Reading Questions #15-16 (Reader p. 24)

Monday, February 12

In Greenberg:
- David Walker, Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World, 1830 (119-134)
Reading Questions #16-20 (Reader p. 24)
Source Synthesis Reading Quiz

Wednesday, February 14

Draft of Turner essay due
Writing Instruction/Workshop

Unit 2: Information Literacy and the Common Good

Friday, February 16

Research Unit

Monday, February 19

Turner essay due
Research Unit

Wednesday, February 21 – Wednesday, March 13

Research Unit

Friday, March 15

Version 1 of the research paper due
Paper review and debriefing

Sat 3/16–Sun 3/24: Spring Break

Unit 3: Education and the Common Good

Monday, March 25

Introduction to the Unit (Reader, pp. 25-26)
Plato, “Allegory” (Reader, pp. 38-45)
Lecture: Storm Bailey. Valders 206, normal class meeting times

Wednesday, March 27

Review Plato, “Allegory” (Reader, pp. 38-45)
Reading Questions #1-7 (Reader p. 27)

Fri 3/29: Easter Break

Monday, April 1

Review Plato, “Allegory” (Reader, pp. 38-45)

Wednesday, April 3

Plato, “Apology” (Reader, pp. 57-66)
Reading Questions #13-15 (Reader p. 28)
Reading Quiz

Unit 4: Social Activism and the Common Good: The Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War

Friday, April 5

Introduction to the unit (Reader, p. 29 )
“Statement by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee on the War in Vietnam”
Reading Questions (Reader, p. 30)

Monday, April 8

Thich Nhat Hanh, “In Search of the Enemy of Man”
Joint statement by Martin Luther King, Jr., and Thich Nhat Hanh, International Committee of Conscience on Vietnam”
Reading Questions (Reader, p. 30)

Wednesday, April 10

King, “A Time to Break Silence”
“Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence” (YouTube audio here)
Reading Questions (Reader, pp. 30-31)

Unit 5: Humans, Nature, and the Common Good

Friday, April 19

E.O. Wilson, Half Earth Prologue through Chapter 5 (pp. 1-44)
Reading Questions (Reader, p. 34)
Lecture: Todd Pedlar. Valders 206, normal class meeting times

Monday, April 22

Half Earth Chapters 6-11 (47-99)
Reading Questions (Reader, p. 34)

Wednesday, April 24

Half Earth Chapters 12-16 (101-166)
Reading Questions (Reader, p. 34)

Friday, April 26

Half Earth Part III (167-212)
Reading Questions, (Reader, p. 35)

Monday, April 29

Bram Büscher and Robert Fletcher, “Why E.O. Wilson is Wrong About How to Save the Earth”
Reading Questions (Reader, p. 35)
Reading Quiz

Wednesday, May 1

Final Essay workshop
Submit final versions of Research paper for Program Assessment

Friday, May 3

NO CLASS: Learning@Luther Showcase

Monday, May 6

Final essay due
Outdoor Synthesis

Wednesday, May 8

Course evaluation/exam review

Friday, May 10

Course evaluation/exam review

Monday, May 13: Final exam

Fall 2023 Syllabus

Paideia 111 Fall 2023

“What is the common good?”

Summer reading: Solito by Javier Zamora

Monday, August 28th (9:30am – 11:00am)

Orientation day with in-class writing

Wednesday, August 30

Review Solito, Handout: Class discussions
Class discussions with empathy
Onstage interview with Javier Zamora (7-8pm, CFL)

Friday, September 1

Review Solito
The power of language: reading with comprehension and more

Monday, September 4

Review Solito

Wednesday, September 6

Handout: “Integrating source material into paragraphs”. Handout (quick tip): “Context when writing about texts”
Writing instruction: Integrating sources

Unit 1: Law, Custom, and the Common Good

Friday, September 8

Introduction (Paideia Reader, p. 25)
Sophocles, Antigone. pp. 57-66, lines 1-179

Monday, September 11

Solito Reading Response due
Antigone
pp. 67-92, lines 180-700

Wednesday, September 13

Antigone pp. 92-109, lines 701-1089

Friday, September 15

Antigone pp. 110-128, lines 1090-1470

Monday, September 18

Review Antigone
Handout: “Developing a thesis statement”
Writing instruction: thesis construction

Wednesday, September 20

Working draft of Paper 1 due
Handout: “Supporting your thesis”
Writing instruction: thesis and evidence

Unit 2: Open Unit

Monday, September 25

Paper 1 due with reflection

Friday, October 6

Working draft of Paper 2 due
Handout: “Developing body paragraphs”
Writing instruction: Paragraph development

Unit 3: Assimilation and the Common Good

Monday, October 9

Introduction (Paideia Reader, pp. 32-34)
Nella Larsen, Passing, pp. 1-12

Wednesday, October 11

Paper 2 due with reflection
Passing, pp. 13-48

Friday, October 13

Passing, pp. 49-74

Friday, October 20

Passing, pp. 75-97

Monday, October 23

Passing, pp. 98-120

Wednesday, October 25

Working draft of Paper 3 due
Handout: “Transitional sentences and devices”
Writing instruction: Structure/transitions

Friday, October 27

Introduction (Paideia Reader, pp. 38-19)
Charles Eastman: From the Deep Woods to Civilization: Chapters in the Autobiography of an Indian (1913), pp. 1-17

Monday, October 30

Paper 3 due with reflection
Eastman, pp. 18-34

Wednesday, November 1

Eastman, pp. 35-66

Friday, November 3

Eastman, pp. 67-93

Monday, November 6

Eastman, pp. 94-109

Wednesday, November 8

David Faldet, “Indian Scare” and “Henry Clay Bulis” (Paideia Reader pp. 43-46)
Guest speaker, Valders 206, during your normal class period: Lecture and Q and A with Dr. Kate Beane, executive director of the Minnesota Museum of American Art and descendent of Charles Eastman and subject of the documentary Ohiyesa

Unit 4: Built Spaces and the Common Good

Friday, November 10

Introduction (Paideia Reader, pp. 48-49)
“Snohetta Makes the Daily Lunch Break the Central Focus of its Workplace”

Monday, November 13

Video lecture by Craig Dykers: “Learn to approach design with empathy”

Wednesday, November 15

Reading (pdf): “Partner Michelle Delk Delivers Keynote Address”
Snohetta Process
Snohetta Project

Friday, November 17

Individual Paideia sections will have their own assignments and discussion questions for the day

Monday, November 20

Revision paper assignment due
Introduction (Paideia Reader, p. 52)
View Parasite

11/22–11/26: Thanksgiving Vacation

Monday, November 27

Review Parasite
Reading: Film studies, Architecture in films

Wednesday, November 29

Introduction (Paideia Reader, p. 54)
Hao Jingfang, “Folding Beijing” (Paideia Reader, pp. 57-78)

Friday, December 1

“Folding Beijing”

Monday, December 4

“Folding Beijing”
Built spaces: synthesis

Wednesday, December 6

Exam study grid, or prep work assigned by your instructor
Exam prep
Course Evaluations

Friday, December 8

Handout: Exam questions
Practice exam questions/Course evaluations

Final exam: Monday, Dec. 11

Spring 2023 Syllabus

Paideia 112 Spring 2023

“In a divided society, how do we live in community?”

The work of the historical researcher in understanding divided communities:

The Confessions of Nat Turner (1831) and Related Documents

Wednesday, Feb. 1

Introduction to the unit (Reader 18–24)
(Reading questions are in the Reader, pp. 25–26)
Common Lecture: Mark Guerci, Valders 206

Friday, Feb. 3

Greenberg introduction: “The Text” (5–11): “The Confessions of Nat Turner” (Greenberg 36–56)
Notes grid for Nat Turner Sources (make your own copy to fill in)
Reading Questions #2-5

Monday, Feb. 6

“The Richmond Compiler, August 24, 1831,” “The Constitutional Whig, August 29, 1831,” “The Richmond Enquirer, August 30, 1831,” and “The Liberator, September 3, 1831” (59-70);
“Trial of Lucy” (95–96);
“Nat Turner’s Trial Record, Excerpt from the Court Records of Southampton County, 1831” (98–100);
Excerpts from the Diary of Virginia Governor John Floyd (101–107)
Letter from Virginia Governor John Floyd to South Carolina Governor James Hamilton, Jr., November 19, 1831 (107–109)
Reading Questions # 6–13

Wednesday, Feb. 8

Thomas R. Dew, Abolition of Negro Slavery, September and December 1832 (110–118);
David Walker, Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World, 1830 (119–134)
Reading Questions #14–17

Friday, Feb. 10

Reading Response draft due
Nat Turner
Review and Writing Workshop

The Research Unit: The methods and community responsibility of research

Monday, Feb. 13–Wednesday, Feb. 15

Research Unit

Friday, Feb.1 7

Research Unit
Nat Turner Reading Response due

Monday, Feb. 20–Wednesday, Feb. 22–Friday, Feb. 24

Research Unit

Monday, Feb. 27–Wednesday, March 1–Friday, March 3

Research Unit

Monday, March 6–Wednesday, March 8–Friday, March 10

Research Unit

Monday, March 13

Research Unit
Version 1 of Research Paper due
Share and reflect on research experiences

Seeking Community among Humans, “Others,” and the Natural World in Mary Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein (1818)

Wednesday, March 15

Introduction to the Unit (Reader 27–31)
Frankenstein (4–36)
Reading questions #1–3
(Reading questions are in the Reader, pp. 31–33)
Common Lecture: Amy Weldon, Valders 206

Friday, March 17

Frankenstein (36–41)
Reading question #4
Close Reading: The Birth of the Creature

March 18-26

Spring Break

Monday, March 27

Frankenstein (42–72)
Reading questions #5–6

Wednesday, March 29

Frankenstein (72–92)
Reading questions #7–8

Friday, March 31

Frankenstein (92–111)
Reading questions #9–10

Monday, April 3

Frankenstein (113–140)
Reading questions #11–12
Reading/writing instruction

Wednesday, April 5

Frankenstein (140–160)
Reading questions #13–14

April 7–10

Easter Vacation

Wednesday, April 12

Frankenstein (160–177)
Reading questions #15–17

Friday, April 14

Writing Workshop

Human and non-human communities and climate change: E.O. Wilson’s Half-Earth (2019)

Monday, April 17

Frankenstein reading response due
Introduction to the Unit (Reader 34–36)
Half-Earth (1–44)
Reading Questions #1–3
(Reading questions are in the Reader, pp. 37–39)
Common Lecture: Todd Pedlar, Valders 206

Wednesday, April 19

Half-Earth (47–99)
Reading Questions #4–6

Friday, April 21

Half-Earth (101–166)
Reading Questions #7–9

Monday, April 24

Half-Earth (167–212)
Reading Questions #10–13

Wednesday, April 26

Bram Büscher and Robert Fletcher, “Why E.O. Wilson is Wrong About How to Save the Earth
Reading Questions #14–16

Friday, April 28

Synthesis: Discussion and reflection: In a divided society, how do we live in community?

What is the duty of an educated person toward their communities?

Monday, May 1

Introduction to the Unit (Reader 40–41)
Plato “Allegory of the Cave” Reading Questions #1–7
(Reading questions are in the Reader, pp. 41–42)
Common Lecture: Storm Bailey, Valders 206

Wednesday, May 3

Reread Plato “Allegory of the Cave”

Friday, May 5

No class: Learning at Luther Showcase

Monday, May 8

Plato, The Apology of Socrates
Introduction to the Unit (Reader 43)
Reading Questions #1–8
(Reading questions are in the Reader, pp. 44)

Wednesday, May 10

Plato, The Apology of Socrates

Friday, May 12

Exam review

May 15-18

Final Exam Week: final essay due at the exam

Fall 2022 Syllabus

Paideia 111 Fall 2022

Unit 1: Human Dignity and Community

Summer Reading: Cantú, The Line Becomes a River (2018)

Monday, Aug. 29

Francisco Cantú, The Line Becomes a River

Wednesday, Aug. 31

Review Introduction and Reading Questions (In the Summer Reading Brochure, and the Paideia 111 Reader, pp. 22–24)
Q and A with Author CFL Main Hall

Thursday, Sept. 1

Convocation and Lecture by Francisco Cantú

Friday, Sept. 2

Review Cantú
“Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Paideia Discussions” (Reader, p. 5)

Monday, Sept. 5

Review Cantú

Wednesday, Sept. 7

Simon Romero, “Border Patrol Memoir Ignites Dispute: Whose Voices Should Be Heard From the Frontier?” The New York Times. May 19, 2018.
Writing Center handout: “Integrating source material into paragraphs”

Unit 1: Human Dignity and Community (cont.)

Sophocles: Antigone (5th c. BCE), and Uribe, Antígona González (2018)

Friday, Sept. 9

Common Lecture by David Thompson: “Appropriate Behavior: Antigone and Her Descendants”
Sophocles, Antigone pp. 57–66, lines 1–179
Introduction (Reader, pp. 25–26)
Reading Questions (Reader, p. 27)
Response paper due

Monday, Sept. 12

Sophocles pp. 67–92, lines 180–700
Reading Questions (Reader, p. 27)

Wednesday, Sept. 14

Sophocles pp. 92–109, lines 701–1089
Reading Questions (Reader, pp. 27–28)

Friday, Sept. 16

Sophocles pp. 110–128, lines 1090–1470
Reading Questions (Reader, p. 28)

Monday, Sept.19

Sara Uribe, Antígona González (Read all)
Reading Questions (Reader, pp. 28–29)

Wednesday, Sept. 21

Sara Uribe, Antígona González (Re-read all)

Friday, Sept. 23

Paper 1 Writing Workshop
Little Seagull Handbook, 53–58 (“Arguments”)

Monday, Sept. 26

Reread selected passages

Unit 2: Moving Up?

“Folding Beijing” (2016) and Parasite (2019)

Wednesday, Sept. 28

Common Lecture by Christy Vrtis: “Busting Through and Moving Up: Envisioning Movement through Social and Economic Divisions.”
Hao Jingfang, “Folding Beijing” (Reader, pp. 51–74)
Introduction (Reader, pp. 30–33)
Paper 1 due

Friday, Sept. 30

Reread “Folding Beijing”
Reading Questions (Reader, p. 34)

Monday, Oct. 3

Review “Folding Beijing”

Wednesday, Oct. 5

View the film Parasite (2019, directed by Bong Joon-ho)
Introduction (Reader, p.32)
Reading Questions (Reader, p. 35)

Friday, Oct. 7

Review Parasite
Reading Questions (Reader, p. 35)
Optional: read this Review by Andrew Chan

Monday, Oct. 10

Paper 2 Writing Instruction: Developing paragraphs
Writing Center handouts: “Introduction and conclusion paragraphs,” “Developing body paragraphs,” “Topic sentences”

Wednesday, Oct. 12

Writing Workshop
Paper 2 first version due

Friday, Oct. 14

Paper 2 final version due

Monday, Oct. 14–Wednesday, Oct. 19

Fall Break

Unit 3: Open Unit

Friday, Oct. 21–Wednesday, Nov. 11

Open Unit and Library Visit

Friday, Nov. 4

Paper 3 Writing Workshop
Writing Center handout: “Transition sentences and devices”
Little Seagull Handbook, 27–39 (“Developing paragraphs”)

Unit 4, “I, Too, am America”

Part 1: Voices of the Harlem Renaissance (1920s)

Monday, Nov. 7

Common Lecture by Martin Klammer: “I Too, Sing America: Voices of the Harlem Renaissance”
Introduction (Reader p.39)
Langston Hughes, “I, Too”
Biography and Reading Questions (Reader, p. 41)

Wednesday, Nov. 9

Paper 3 due
Langston Hughes, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” and “The Weary Blues”
Claude McKay, “The Lynching”
Countee Cullen, “Incident”
Biographies and Reading Questions (Reader, pp. 41–43)

Friday, Nov. 11

Zora Neale Hurston “How It Feels to be Colored Me” (Reader, pp. 73–75)
Georgia Douglas Johnson, “The Heart of a Woman” and “Smothered Fires”
Biographies and Reading Questions (Reader, pp. 43–44)

Monday, Nov.14

Hurston, “Sweat”
(Reader pp. 76–84)

Wednesday, Nov. 16

Richmond Barthe, “African Dancer”
Aaron Douglas, Aaron, Aspects of Negro Life, Panel #3: “The Idyll of the Deep South”
Palmer Hayden, “Midsummer Night in Harlem” 1936
Sargent Johnson,, “Forever Free.” 1935
William H. Johnson, “Minnie” 1930
Archibald Mottley, “Blues” 1929
Augusta Savage, “Gamin,” 1930
Hale Woodruff, “Repatriation of the Captives” from The Amistad Murals, 1938

Unit 4, Part 2: Rhetoric of the Civil Rights Era (1960s)

Friday, Nov. 18

Common Lecture by Mike Garcia “To Save the Soul of America: The Rhetoric of the Civil Rights Movement”
Introduction (Reader, p. 45)
Biography and Reading Questions (Reader, p. 46)
Fannie Lou Hamer, “Address to the Credentials Committee of the Democratic National Convention” (1964, 8:10) (transcript)