NA103 Native American Cuisine

Introduction

Boozhoo, Aaniin, Osiyo, and Welcome!

My name is Phylis Thomas and I will be your instructor for the next fifteen (15) weeks. Hopefully, this will be an exciting journey and a good opportunity for you to explore the world of our cuisines.

First, I would like to formally introduce myself and share some of my life with you. My parents were Potawatomi and Cherokee who survived the boarding school era. Over the past five plus decades I have resided in Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Alabama, New York, and Michigan, and have visited a majority of the continental United States. I have been blessed with three wonderful boys along with two biological grandchildren, three adopted grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. My extended and spiritual family resides all across this turtle island. I am a Vietnam veteran and have been working within Native tribes for over twenty-five years. As you can see from my opening address, I have been exposed to various tribes and their languages such as Potawatomi, Ojibwa, and Cherokee, and am fluent in English. I obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas with a major in Criminal Justice. I own and operate a small sewing business with the focus on Native regalia, quilting, machine embroidery, alterations, and various other crafts.

Secondly, I would like to detail expectations for this course that may not have been addressed in the syllabus or course calendar. Each lesson will follow the same basic principles identified in the outline below and will not be restated in every weekly session.

1. Since this is a weekly course, I will rely on the WebBoard to account for your attendance which is part of your grade. It is my hope that you participate on a weekly basis and do not rush through the course. I will check at the beginning of each week to determine your presence.
   

2. Research (using search engines) will be done on the Internet. The expectation is for you to read all the Uniform Resource Listing(s) cited in the Specific Reading section. There is a vast amount of information relating to cuisine on the Internet. The URL's identified serve as a jumping off point in your searches relating to this topic.
   

3. Written assignments: there are three (3) types of documents that will be completed using your word processing skills. The required papers are the summary report, the reaction paper, and the final summary paper. Each summary report will be worth 50 points while the reaction paper will be worth 40 points. The final summary paper is quite similar to the summary report and will be worth 225 points. This paper replaces a final exam.

4. The summarization should be just that "a summary" of what has been viewed. Only the summary reports are to be e-mailed to the Instructor in order to receive appropriate credit for the information. Reactions are your personal opinions concerning a specific topic. Reaction papers (comments) will be posted on the Web Board. Due to the minimum word count for written documentation, it may be to your best interest to complete the assignment in a word processor and paste your response to the Web Board.
   
   
   1. Summary reports will be a minimum of 450 words. This is roughly a one-page single-spaced report. Each summary will be evaluated and graded by specific criteria.
      
      
      1. It must include your Name, Week Number, and the Date. This information is worth 5 points.
      2. Meeting the minimum word count equates to 5 points.
      3. URL identification has a value of 5 points.
      4. Spelling and syntax merits 5 points.
      5. Content reflects the balance at 30 points.
         
         
   2. Reactions will be a minimum of 200 words. This equates to one or two short paragraphs.
      
      
      1. It must include your Name, Week Number and the Date. This information is worth 5 points.
      2. Meeting the minimum word count equates to 5 points.
      3. Spelling and syntax merits 5 points.
      4. Content reflects the balance at 25 points.
         
         
   3. The final summary report does not have a word count and will be evaluated on content and subsection a (i) above only.
      
      
5. Browse and Post. This is the manner in which all students will be able to share their information. This information will be listed under the weekly assignment in the Browse and Post area. Every assigned posting will account for 40 points. The criteria for the posting MUST include the URL along with your comments. If the URL is NOT identified, 5 points will be lost for that session. There are exceptions to the URL identification. The exclusions apply to the reaction paper, personal recipes, and if stated in a weekly session under the Browse and Post area.
   
   
6. Any quiz will be cumulative and be worth 100 points. The material on each quiz will only encompass information since the last quiz and will include information from the current lesson. Additionally, the quiz information will be identified at the end of each session before the resource section. Example: Quiz in Week 2, only matter from Week 1 and Week 2 will be tested. The quiz will consist of True/False and Multiple Choice questions.

Next, I appreciate constructive criticism and have a firm belief in the "open door" attitude. If you have any concerns, questions, challenges, or find errors, please let me know. I will check my email on a daily basis (Monday through Friday). Grades will be posted before 5:00 P.M. on Friday. This will assist the week-end students.

Lastly, my wish to you is success in this course and any other endeavors that may await you.

Index | Calendar | Syllabus | WebBoard